Favourite Charities

The Order makes substantial donations to charitable projects which we feel are in tune with the Druid ethos. We'd like to share information about them here, in their own words.

Trees for Life

Trees for Life is the only organisation specifically dedicated to restoring the Caledonian Forest to a target area of 600 sq miles in the Scottish Highlands. We work in partnership with the Forestry Commission, RSPB and private landowners, and own and manage the 10,000 acre Dundreggan Estate.

Each year we run over 45 Conservation Holidays. Hundreds of volunteers join us annually in planting over 100,000 trees in protected areas, and carry out other restoration work such as seed collection and propagation of young trees and rare woodland plants. We have planted over 923,000 trees since 1989.

Trees for Life run a ‘Start a Grove’ programmeOBOD started one in 2014, the Order’s 50th Anniversary Year, funding the planting of a Golden Anniversary Grove near Loch Ness, in the beautiful Glen Moriston. Over 3,000 species of wildlife exist there, along with remnants of ancient Caledonian Forest. By March 2021 members and the Order had contributed to the planting of over 2,000 trees. You can contribute for as little as £6, which pays for the planting and continuing care of one tree. Species planted include bird cherry, pine, birch, juniper, alder, aspen, willow, dwarf birch and hazel. We do hope you can support this project – just click here to see more!

Tree Aid

Tree Aid helps villagers living in the drylands of Africa unlock the potential of trees to reduce poverty and protect the environment. At Tree Aid, we believe that tackling poverty and environmental protection are inseparable.

We help villagers in the drylands of Africa unlock the potential of trees to break this cycle of environmental decline and poverty. We help create self-reliance for poor communities building not only their chances of survival but also their dignity and respect. At the same time, we help poor people invest in their environment, building its richness and health not just for today but for generations to come.

Donors to Tree Aid can choose which project they wish to support. At OBOD we have chosen to support projects with the Dogon tribe in Mali, West Africa.

The Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.It looks after more than 1,100 woods covering 190 square kilometres (73 sq mi). Nearly 350 of its sites contain ancient woodland of which 70 per cent is semi-natural ancient woodland – land which has been under tree cover since at least 1600. It also manages over 110 Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It has also created new woodlands: over 32 km2 (12 sq mi) have been created, including 250 new community woods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its largest current projects include the 41.7 km2 (16.1 sq mi) Glen Finglas Estate in the Trossachs, Scotland and the Heartwood Forest near St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, which will cover approximately 347 ha (860 acres). It owns 20 sites covering 4.3 km2 (1.7 sq mi) in the National Forest and has twelve sites in Community Forests in England.

Children's Forest

Children’s Forest is a movement to inspire and enable children to plant healthy forests. We support people and communities to start Children’s Forests in their areas and encourage those with access to land to host these projects.
There has never been a more pressing time to engage children in meaningful action in the face of social isolation and climate crisis. We support children’s mental health and wellbeing by providing them with the opportunity to envision and create a positive future by planting trees.