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100 trees for 100 years of countryside care

3rd April 2025

In celebration of our centenary, we’ve joined forces with the Eastern Moors Partnership to restore and enhance upland habitats in the Peak District – an area we’ve been committed to protecting since our founding.

To mark 100 years of countryside care, we’ve successfully planted 100 native trees across the Eastern and Burbage Moors. From blanket bogs and haymeadows to grassland and moorland, these Sites of Special Scientific Interest are vital habitats for wildlife. Through  planting and protecting native species such as Rowan, Hawthorn, and Sessile Oak, we are creating wildlife corridors between existing woodlands, increasing biodiversity and ensuring that we will retain iconic moorland trees for future generations to enjoy.

A living legacy for Ethel Haythornthwaite

This initiative celebrates the legacy of our founder, Ethel Haythornthwaite, whose pioneering efforts were instrumental in the designation of the Peak District National Park. In doing so, she safeguarded the Peak District from harmful development, including plans to build swathes of houses across the moorlands which surround Sheffield.

'Our founder, Ethel Haythornthwaite laid the foundation for so much of the conservation work in the region. So, we’re proud to collaborate with a local organisation that shares our commitment to caring for the Peak District’s moorlands and uplands. Together, we’re committed to ensuring that the Peak District continues to thrive, today and for generations to come.'
Tomo Thompson, CPRE PDSY CEO

To this day, Ethel’s vision continues to inspire everything we do, from protecting natural landscapes to tackling modern challenges like climate change.

Partnering for the Peak

The Eastern and Burbage Moors, located within the Peak District National Park, are carefully managed by the Eastern Moors Partnership – a collaboration between the National Trust and the RSPB. Their deep understanding of the moors has enabled us to pinpoint the optimal locations for planting trees. This is based on studying historic maps to identify “lost trees”, creating “stepping stones” between existing woodland, and planting successional trees beside iconic veteran moorland trees.

'It’s been fantastic to collaborate on this joint project with CPRE on the Eastern and Burbage Moors. These 100 trees will help to link existing woodland, establish the next generation of iconic, open-grown moorland trees, and to provide valuable cover and feeding opportunities for a host of wildlife, especially migrating thrushes such as Fieldfare, Redwing and Ring Ouzel.'
John Mead, Eastern Moors Partnership
CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire Centenary Tree Planting programme in the Peak District. Jonathan Gawthorpe: Yorkshire Post

  • The Lord Mayor Sheffield joined the centenary tree planting to learn about the life and legacy of Ethel Haythornthwaite.

  • The Eastern and Burbage Moors are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest managed by the Eastern Moors Partnership - a collaboration between the National Trust and the RSPB.

  • Ethel Haythornthwaite helped to make the successful case for the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949, which ultimately led to the creation of the Peak District National Park.

More like this

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Restoring and Enhancing Upland Habitats in the Peak District
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Year in Review: Celebrating 100 Years of Countryside Care
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CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire featured on BBC Countryfile
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The Exploits of Ethel performed by Newfield Students
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