Christmas Trees are all around us as the festive period gets underway – lit up in our homes and on the streets to bring seasonal cheer to the dark winter days and nights.
If you love having a tree in your lives at Christmas, we’ve got plenty of ideas of how to stay close to trees all year long! We’re kicking off our See the Trees campaign this Christmas-time, with top tips on places to go to get some fresh air and get to know your local trees better.
Wet and windy out but you need some fresh air to blow away the cobwebs? Woodlands are a great place to head to as the trees will shelter you from the worst of the winter weather.
Have a look on our explore page for 12 great woodlands to visit over the winter holidays.
Winter is the perfect time to get to know your trees better too. Having lost their leaves, a bare tree reveals lots of clues to a tree’s identity! At this time of year you can get a really good look at the bark but also the shape of the branches and twigs too.
Follow us on Instagram for top tips on how to recognise some of the most common trees in Dorset this winter. Or have a look at some simple guides for identifying trees in winter.
Ever wondered what the iconic clump of trees on Colmer’s Hill near Bridport is? These pine trees can be seen for miles around and make a great destination for a Christmas climb.
Or if you’d rather stay home, storyteller Martin Maudsley brings them alive with his tale of how they came to be perched on top of a very strange hill!
Step into the wintry woodland world at Thorncombe Woods with your slippers on! We know that contact with nature can make you feel good but in the middle of winter you may not want to be out in the cold.
Dorset Countryside rangers at Thorncombe Woods bring the sights and smells of the wintry woodland wildlife straight to your sofa with this series of 5 virtual walks.
Swanage have recently launched their new Tree Trail in appreciation of the nature and colour that trees bring to urban spaces.
Follow the Tree Trail for a gentle wander round the town, taking in some ancient trees and meet the leafy Winston Churchill too! Lots of cafes to warm up after your winter wander.
Over the next 12 months we will be celebrating all things tree like and we hope you’ll be joining in too! We’ll be sharing locations of some choice timbers to visit, and helping you notice the difference between a Beech and a Birch.
Keep an eye out on social media for some our favourite Christmas Trees over December and if the mood takes you go and see them for yourselves!
Many thanks to the talented photographers who have kindly allowed us to use their photos: