Protecting seedlings from deer and other browsing wildlife is one of the biggest factors deciding whether a North American planting succeeds or quietly fails in its first few seasons. Across the United States and Canada, foresters contend with white-tailed and mule deer, elk, rabbits and hares, and root-gnawing voles, each capable of stunting or killing…

Tree shelters and carbon credits are more closely linked than most planters realise. As woodland carbon schemes mature, the materials you use to establish a planting (fencing, ground preparation and tree protection) are increasingly counted against the carbon your trees lock away. This guide explains how carbon credits work for tree planting, where tree shelters…

Vitiforestry, the deliberate integration of trees into and around vineyards, is moving from research trials into working European wine estates. After two decades of treating vineyards as monocultures swept clean of everything but vines, a growing number of growers in France, Germany, Portugal and beyond are putting trees back: in scattered standards among the rows,…

Hedgerows are having a moment. After decades of removal and neglect, hedgerow restoration is now one of the most heavily supported land management activities in the UK and across Europe: backed by agri-environment funding, demanded by biodiversity targets, and increasingly specified in estate and farm plans in their own right rather than as an afterthought…

For foresters managing planting projects across borders (federal and state contracts in the US, Forestry Commission frameworks in the UK, NGO and corporate work spanning both), tree shelter standards are not a science question. They are a procurement question. A specifier needs to know exactly which test protocol a supplier holds, which body issued it,…

The UK wine industry has moved from cottage curiosity to recognised premium category in under twenty years. Sparkling wine from Sussex and Kent now competes with Champagne on quality, and new vineyards are being planted across southern England at a pace that has reshaped the agricultural map. For growers, contractors and consultants planning a new…

For conservation projects planting tens of thousands of trees, the question of which shelter to specify is no longer just “what will protect the tree?”. It is also “what do we leave behind?” The decision between Vigilis Bio vs standard tree shelters comes down to how a project balances up-front cost, end-of-life management and long-term…

A tree shelter only works if it is installed correctly. Knowing how to install a tree shelter properly (firmly staked, well seated and correctly tied) is the difference between a guard that protects a seedling for years and one that blows over, leans or lets browsing animals in. This step-by-step guide is written for foresters…