LIFE in the Ravines

The Peak District has the largest expanse of ravine ashwoods in the UK. A five-year partnership (opens new window), starting in September 2020, has received £3.6 million from EU LIFE to restore over 800 hectares of ravine woodland in the Peak District Dales Special Area of Conservation.

Ash dieback disease, caused by a lethal fungus, arrived in the Peak District in 2015. Without help and intervention, the Dales woodlands, which are dominated by ash trees, could be devastated.

The project aims to restore the diversity of tree species that once thrived in the Dales, such as small- and large-leaved lime, to help them become more resilient for the future. Seeds are being collected from locally surviving trees, and grown on in a nursery ready for planting. It is hoped some ash trees will have a natural tolerance to ash dieback, meaning the species will not be lost from the Dales.

Pioneering techniques are being used, including using drones for planting on steep slopes, alongside more traditional hand planting.

© Sam McQueen / Natural England