The Community Tree Trust was initially set up in summer/autumn 2001, following on from the Community Tree Project, and is currently involved in seed collecting from ancient woodland sites throughout the whole of Bedfordshire. The seed is collected from native trees and shrubs of local provenance, and is grown on at the Community tree nursery for about 2 to 3 years before being replanted back into the Bedfordshire countryside to restore ancient hedgerows and woodland.

The Community Tree Trust has so far organised 6 major seed collections, during September and October 2001 to 2006 and approximately 8 million seeds have been collected so far. All of the collected seed is sown at the Community Tree nursery at Clophill in prepared seed beds and seed trays.

In total 30 schools have been involved in seed collecting, including about 4,000 school children. About 6 local disabled groups, 4 local conservation groups, college students, Cub Scouts and Scouts and members of the Tree Grower Club have also been involved in the seed collection and tree growing on process.

The Tree Grower Club includes volunteers and members of the Community Tree Trust who want to be involved directly with seed collecting and growing on tree seedlings, and to also be involved in any replanting. Many of the members and volunteers actively take part in weeding and lining out tree seedlings at the Community tree nursery at Clophill on organised work days, and open days.

The schools and volunteers are given resource packs containing information about the ancient woodland sites where the collections are taking place, and about the ancient woodland species. Many take seed back to grow on at their particular school and are given information sheets on seed treatment for their chosen species.

The schoolchildren and volunteers are also directly involved in replanting ancient hedgerows and woodlands that have been lost in the past, using local provenance stock, helping to increase wildlife habitats and bio-diversity in Bedfordshire.

The Community Tree Trust is currently involved in collecting wildflower seed from a range of species from known ancient woodland sites throughout Bedfordshire. The project is being funded by the Local Heritage Initiative from the Countryside Agency and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The seed is collected from native wildflowers that grow on the woodland floor, known as ground flora, and is of local provenance. The project also supports the Local Bio-diversity Action Plan for Bedfordshire and the conservation of native flora species that are mainly confined to ancient woodlands throughout the county. The seed is collected by the community during planned events throughout the summer, and includes wildflower educational walks, wildflower seed collecting and seed sowing events in the autumn. Local school children, Cub Scouts, Scouts, Brownies, Guides, disabled groups, local volunteers and college students are actively involved in these events.

The Wildlife Trust and Greensand Trust are helping with the education of the schoolchildren, and many of the walks involve mini-beast and invertebrate hunting, and studying the whole woodland ecosystems, as well as collecting the wildflower seed.

School children and volunteers are also actively involved at the Community Tree Nursery pricking out and potting up the wildflower plants, and also planting out the flowers into the woodland areas during special seed sowing and planting events..