If you are stuck for new year resolutions that (a) you will keep and (b) will make a real difference to you, your family and the planet, look no further than these three simple steps you can take with the Woodland Trust to a better world for 2010 and for impact well beyond it.

Low carbon living:

Plant a native tree!

The Woodland Trust is calling for a doubling of the UK’s native woodland as awareness increases that native trees and woods are urgently needed if society and wildlife are to adapt to our changing climate.

Woods store carbon, they clean our air and counter pollution, improve the flow and quality of water, reduce flooding, and cool our towns and cities.

New native trees and woodland also help make existing wildlife habitats more resilient by buffering and extending them, increasing opportunities for species to move in response to change.

The Trust’s independently audited Woodland Carbon scheme allows you to calculate how much new woodland per year is needed to lock up your carbon emissions – your donations will enable the Trust to plant enough new woodland to capture and store that excess C02. www.woodlandtrustshop.com/Carbon

And to do your bit in the back garden, why not browse our selection of native species to suit most plots in the Trust’s Native Tree Shop? www.woodlandtrustshop.com/native-trees

Or let the Woodland Trust plant a tree for you at any one of five sites across the UK. www.woodlandtrustshop.com/plant-a-tree

These small acts make a BIG impact.

Amazingly in just 12 years, small saplings planted on bare land will develop into thriving native woodland complete with sturdy trees big enough for you to walk under, rich ground flora, and a host of wildlife.

Today the UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with just 12% woodland cover compared with a continental average of 44%. Of that figure, only half is native woodland.

Rude health:

Forget the gym and try the one in the fresh air that doesn’t cost you a monthly fee. The Woodland Trust has over 1,000 woods in its care and each one has free access to the public.

A woodland walk is a whole lot more pleasant than the treadmill so it’s an easier habit to get into a few times a month than using your gym membership.

Best of all, a simple walk in a wood now has recognised credentials for boosting both mental and physical health and overall quality of life – it measurably lowers heart rate, blood pressure and inner stress.

So take an effective and pro-active dose of preventive medicine this New Year! You’ll be walking in some of the most stunning locations in the country, and watching the seasons change too. Check http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/our-woods/Pages/search-for-a-wood.aspx for the wood nearest you.

Happy kids:

Make a resolution simply to spend time with your children outside in 2010.

For children, woodland offers a simple place of adventure where even a picnic is an experience, and you might be surprised how easily they make their own entertainment once they are out. For inspiration to make their walk more interesting, go to the Nature Detectives website (the Woodland Trust’s very own CLUB for children) where you will find a range of free, downloadable, seasonally themed activities. www.naturedetectives.org.uk

Or try some ancient tree hunting – no specialist skill or equipment is required and your child might discover a champion tree. This is a really important Trust project to find, record and protect the UK’s oldest trees, and is a great way to engage children – go to www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk for tips on how to measure a tree in hugs!

Or go to the Woodland Trust’s Tree for All website - the biggest children’s tree planting initiative in the UK which aims to give every child a chance to plant a tree - and find a community planting day at a wood near you. They’re free, relaxed and fun and most children love getting their hands dirty planting trees. www.treeforall.org.uk