Building a Wood Pasture for Wildlife and Resilience
One of the long-term projects underway in the regeneration of Telfit Farm is the planting of native woodlands and wood pastures. So far, over 30,000 trees have been planted across the whole farm.
These new woodlands are being designed as part of a wider network of habitat zones across the farm. The structure is intentional — open grassland integrated with widely spaced trees.
Woodlands are often treated as the edges of farmland — the bits left uncultivated, the shade on the boundary. But in regenerative farming, woodlands move from the margins to the centre. They are active, working parts of the farm ecosystem. When managed properly, they hold together the health of the soil, water, livestock, and wildlife.
Woodlands rebuild soil health
Tree roots reach far deeper than crop or pasture roots ever can. They draw up minerals and nutrients from deep within the soil profile, cycling them back to the surface through falling leaves and decaying wood. That constant input of organic matter feeds the soil microbiome — the bacteria, fungi, and insects that make soil alive.
In healthy woodland systems, soil organic carbon levels can reach two to three times higher than in conventionally managed pasture. That’s real carbon sequestration — not a marketing line, but tonnes of carbon locked underground, improving soil fertility and water retention year after year.
Trees regulate water and prevent erosion
Tree roots anchor soil. They slow runoff, giving water time to soak in. In regenerative systems, strategically placed tree belts and shelter strips can reduce surface water loss by up to 80% during heavy rain. That means less topsoil washing into rivers, fewer floods downstream, and steadier groundwater levels through summer.
Woodland edges also act as natural sponges. The leaf litter layer absorbs and filters water, reducing nutrient leaching. Every litre of water that infiltrates rather than runs off builds resilience against both drought and flood — two realities of a changing climate.
Biodiversity builds natural balance
A well-structured woodland isn’t just trees — it’s layers of life. Canopy, understory, shrubs, herbs, fungi, insects, birds, mammals. Each layer plays a role in pest control, pollination, and nutrient cycling.
For farms, that biodiversity translates into free ecological labour. Bats and birds control flies and caterpillars. Insects pollinate clover and fruit trees. Fungi form mycorrhizal networks that connect tree roots to pasture plants, sharing nutrients and moisture. The more diversity a farm supports, the fewer inputs it needs from outside.
Livestock and woodland — the silvopasture connection
Bringing animals back into wooded systems — a practice known as silvopasture — is one of the most powerful tools in regenerative farming. Cattle, sheep, or pigs grazing under trees enjoy cooler microclimates, reducing heat stress and improving welfare. Shade lowers evaporation, meaning greener forage through dry spells.
Research shows that livestock in silvopasture systems can achieve 10–20% higher weight gain with lower feed inputs, simply because the environment supports healthier metabolism and lower stress. As animals move, their manure feeds both the soil and the trees, closing nutrient loops naturally.
Carbon, climate, and long-term resilience
Woodlands are one of the most effective ways to draw down atmospheric carbon while keeping land productive. Unlike monocrop forestry, mixed native wood pastures store carbon across multiple layers — in trees, soil, understory plants, and root systems.
But more than storage, they build resilience. Trees buffer temperature extremes, reduce wind damage, and create stable microclimates for crops and livestock. They make a farm less vulnerable to weather shocks.
Restoring connection between farming and ecology
Modern agriculture fragmented landscapes — hedges torn out, woods cleared, fields stripped bare. Regenerative farming reverses that logic. By weaving woodland and pasture together, we rebuild the natural infrastructure that agriculture depends on.
The future of farming isn’t open fields from fence to fence. It’s living, breathing mosaics of grass, tree, and life — where productivity and biodiversity work as one.
