Tree shelters heralded as essential by English rewilding project

A 3.5-acre site in Somerset is being restored back to natural habitat, with the man responsible trumpeting the benefits of a simple but effective protective design. 

Chris D’Agorne is the founder of the website How To Rewild, which offers a large selection of guides and research-backed advice on tree planting, land acquisition, and more. Currently focusing on-the-ground efforts at a site in southern England, more than 800 native species of vegetation have been reintroduced to the area, much of which would have proven impossible had it not been for the equipment used. 

Nodding to the high population of deer in the region, which poses a direct threat to small saplings and shrubs, D’Agorne cited Tubex Standard Recycling Tree Shelters – small green tubes that surround young plants and trees – as essential in the process. Not only does the design help safeguard against animals, it also offers some guarantees against extreme weather conditions. 

‘I considered natural alternatives to tree shelters such as thorny nurseries and brash cover but at scale these just weren’t practical to implement. Knowing that I was going to use them, I wanted shelters that were resilient so I could have certainty that they’d still be there years later – but I also wanted the least environmentally impactful option and that’s why, after conducting some research, I chose Tubex,’ said D’Agorne. 

‘I was also surprised at a couple of things; first, to see that we had something like a 90 to 95% survival rate despite the late planting time. Second, how well the shelters stood up to the elements – after Storm Arwen hit, we only had a few shelters that were slightly bent, which was a huge relief,’ he continued. 

Earlier this year, the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) and the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund published The Value of Trees Toolkit to help guide organisations on the best approaches to greening, rewilding, and installing green infrastructure. You can read about this on our sister site, Air Quality News.