Shelter boosts lamb survival rate - planting trees to benefit sheep farming

Upland hill farming at high altitudes can bring its own set of challenges such as lack of shelter and protection for newborn lambs. This Woodland Trust case study describes Cumbrian sheep farmer David Noble’s experience of planting trees on his farm to help provide his sheep with shelter from the elements in winter, and shade in summer, improving flock welfare. It details the planting system he put in place in collaboration with the Woodland Trust and the many benefits he hoped to achieve from it, such as reduced lamb neonatal loss, water pollution and poaching, and helping to stabilise beck banks on lower lying pastures and create new habitats for wildlife. This case study shows that when planted strategically, even small scale tree planting can have numerous benefits.