A new tree planting project is underway in the Lake District National Park, allowing people to mark a special occasion or celebrate the life of a loved one, while also helping to restore the landscape and support upland wildlife.

Celebration Wood is being created by nature conservation charity the RSPB at Haweswater near Penrith, on the north-eastern edge of the National Park – a wild and dramatic landscape of mountains, moorland, rushing streams, bog and woodland. Since 2012, the charity has worked in partnership with landowner United Utilities to improve water quality, connect people to the dramatic landscape, and make the area as rich in wildlife as possible.

Individuals can choose their tree from a selection of native species including sessile oak, alder, willow, and rowan – many grown on site at Haweswater’s tree nursery. The RSPB’s dedicated team will be on hand to offer advice and guidance, and to suggest the most suitable planting location. A loved one’s ashes can be buried underneath a tree as part of the planting ceremony.

A pair of personalised ceramic tree markers, designed and hand-crafted in the Lake District, are produced to accompany each new tree in Celebration Wood. One to hang on the tree’s branches, the other to keep as a permanent connection to Haweswater. Donations will be used to cover the cost of purchasing and caring for the tree, maintaining Celebration Wood, and the wider conservation work at Haweswater and across the RSPB.

Bea Normington, Celebration Wood Officer for the RSPB at Haweswater, said:

“The Lake District is a place that’s close to the hearts of so many people all over the world. Planting a tree in Haweswater’s Celebration Wood is a wonderful way to create a long-lasting connection with this beautiful landscape, perhaps to remember the life of a friend or family member, or to mark a marriage, the birth of a child or even a special holiday.

“Celebration Wood will mean something different to everyone, but for all it will be a peaceful place for reflection and communion with nature.”

The Celebration Wood at Haweswater is building on the success of the RSPB’s original Celebration Wood, at Dove Stone in the Peak District National Park, which began in 2014. Today, the site near Oldham is home to more than 500 trees, all native species, as well as countless wildflowers which carpet the woodland floor each spring.

Miriam Biran, Visitor Experience Manager at Dove Stone, said:

“We're delighted that the success of our Celebration Wood here at Dove Stone has led to the creation of this new wood at Haweswater.

“Since we began planting in 2014, we've added hundreds of trees for lots of occasions – from remembering loved ones, to celebrating births and anniversaries. The woodland here has gone from strength to strength and now supports a host of wildflowers, attracting bees, butterflies and birds.

“There's something very unique about this corner of the Peak District. It holds very fond memories for generations of local people and visitors alike, so our Celebration Wood is the ideal place to mark significant milestones and events.”

As it has at Dove Stone, the new Celebration Wood at Haweswater will play an important role in restoring the landscape long into the future, supporting the site’s special wildlife including red squirrels, badgers, pied flycatchers and great spotted woodpeckers.

In time, it will provide a vital woodland corridor connected to the ancient Atlantic Oakwood of Naddle Forest. The trees will become a living, growing part of this rich landscape of woodland, wetland and meadow, and provide other long-term benefits to this important eco system - improving the reservoir’s drinking water quality and helping to reduce the impact of flooding downstream.

Matthew Scott was the first RSPB supporter to plant a tree in Haweswater’s Celebration Wood. He said:

“Celebration Wood is such a special place for the rowan tree I planted to celebrate the life of my beloved wife. Bea handled all the arrangements with great efficiency, sensitivity and kindness, and the whole RSPB team were very welcoming on planting day. The ceramic tree markers are beautiful. I’m so glad I chose to plant a commemoration tree at Haweswater.”

For more information on planting a tree at the at Dove Stone or Haweswater, visit the RSPB’s Celebration Wood homepage.