National Trust to plant woodlands.
National Trust and England’s Community Forests are working in partnership to create around 519 hectares (1,282 acres) of new woodlands and woody habitats across England. Which is equivalent in size to more than 800 football pitches.
A total of 20 planting projects will be completed on land across England, with some of the largest in Devon, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire and Merseyside.
By the end of March, almost 416,000 trees will have been planted to establish new woodlands, wood pasture, hedgerows and orchards. These woody habitats will help to provide homes for nature and accessible woods close to towns and cities for people and communities to enjoy.
The largest tree planting project is at Lunt in Sefton, Merseyside, where work is now underway to plant 78 hectares (192.7 acres) with nearly 93,000 trees. The project will connect with the Community Forest network, open up access to the countryside for local communities and join landscapes together.
A network of 15 Community Forests, the England’s Community Forests initiative started over three decades ago.
By the end of this spring, a total of 693 hectares (1712 acres) of trees will have been planted on Trust land over the last three years, creating the equivalent of over 1,070 football pitches of vital woody habitats.
At Buckland Abbey in Devon, over 30,000 trees are being planted in the tranquil Tavy Valley. As well as boosting woodland cover, extending hedgerows and restoring wood pasture, the reinstatement of an orchard will bring back a historical feature to Buckland, complete with heritage fruit, hazel and cobnut trees.
At Killerton in Devon the plan is to establish and restore 93 hectares (230 acres) of woodland and wood pasture. The establishment of 69,000 trees will improve the estate for wildlife, people and the planet.
Collaboration is at the heart of the woodland creation project at Killerton, with a network of volunteer and community groups, schools and local people joining in tree planting events. The planned addition of 6.9km of paths plus improvements to existing muddy paths across the estate will significantly improve public access to the new woodlands and the wider parkland at Killerton.
In Gloucestershire at Sherborne Farm on the Sherborne Park Estate, the National Trust is working in partnership with a tenant to plant 53,000 trees. The new woodlands across the historic estate will bring back wildlife and create ‘nature-friendly’ farmland.
The conservation charities' partnership with England’s Community Forests directly contributes to its commitment to plant and establish 20 million trees by 2030. The last planting season saw tree planting rates increase by 52 per cent from the previous year with 5,529 hectares of new woodland planted. This marks significant progress towards meeting the Environment Act target of achieving 16.5% tree and woodland cover in England by 2050.