Shadow Environment Secretary Nick Herbert and Nick Boles, Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Grantham and Stamford, visited the Woodland Trust’s Londonthorpe Wood near Grantham on Friday afternoon (October 30).
They were learning more about the charity’s vision for trees and woods and the crucial role they can play in delivering on key aspects of the current political agenda.
Both prospective future members of the Government have families with landholdings on which trees have recently been planted. The Trust is hoping that together they will champion a new ‘woodland philanthropy’ where landowners plant woods on their own land for the multiple benefits to society and the environment - a mechanism supported by the Trust’s new MOREwoods scheme.
MOREwoods offers assistance to farmers, local authorities and individual landowners to create their own native woodland. Launched earlier this year, MOREwoods has already approved 139 planting schemes across the UK, creating 487 acres of new native woodland.
Sue Holden, Chief Executive of the Woodland Trust commented. “The importance of trees and woods has never been more apparent to regulate climate, improve flow and quality of water, reduce air pollution, conserve soil, store carbon and help society adapt to climate change.
“Woodland also encourages exercise, improves health and reduces mental stresses. It has an essential role to play in tackling the issues any prospective government will face.”
Nick Herbert had his own encouraging words to say on woodland creation: “Our natural eco-systems and the services which they provide that sustain our life, such as recreation, carbon storage and wildlife habitat are worth literally billions of pounds. To that end, we need to develop incentives to encourage investment in new habitat or green space.”
It will be the second time Mr Boles has visited Londonthorpe in the last 12 months, as he seeks to discover first hand how woods can play a central role in tackling a range of policy challenges.
Londonthorpe, only planted in the 90’s but already an established, thriving young forest, is visited annually by over 25,000 people and is a perfect example of new woodland planting in an area characterised by arable farming.
The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with woodland cover only 11 per cent (only half of which is native broadleaf woodland) compared to the European average of 44 per cent.
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, email: media@woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters.
The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.