The Woodland Trust is calling for a massive increase in tree planting with the launch of its new campaign ‘More Trees, More Good’.
Today, BBC Northern Ireland weather forecaster Angie Phillips predicted a bright outlook for the ambitious tree planting movement, which calls for a UK rich in native woods and trees.
The Trust wants to see a doubling of native woodland cover throughout the UK over the next 50 years. This achievement, according to the conservation charity, would require 20 million trees to be planted per year throughout the UK – but at the moment we’re planting just 6 million.
Angie Phillips says: “Native trees and woods provide countless benefits. They are havens for a vast array of insects, birds and mammals and are also essential for our own health and wellbeing, providing oxygen and locking up carbon.” She continues: “Woods are beautiful, magical retreats - places where we can take time out and where our children can play and explore. And, as a mum, I want to make sure that we create and leave a living legacy for the next generation.”
The Trust’s President Clive Anderson has also given the campaign his backing: “We realise 20 million trees is a huge task but an increase in tree-planting rates is essential, and we can’t do it alone. That’s why the Trust is calling on all individuals and organisations to help rise to the challenge.”
The Woodland Trust has created a whole package of tree-planting offers enabling schools, youth groups, community groups, organisations, farmers and landowners to plant trees and create homes for our precious wildlife.
For schools, youth groups and community groups, the campaign offers an attractive range of free or reduced-price tree packs.
For farmers and other landowners, the Trust is offering all the practical tree planting advice you need and, thanks to Forest Service’s Woodland Grant Scheme, grant aid is available for planting half an acre or more.
Members of the public and companies can help with the costs of ‘More Trees, More Good’. £6.7m is needed over the next 18 months. A donation of as little as £10 enables us to plant four trees; £50 provides a free tree pack to a school; and £150 pays for a tree pack for a whole community to plant their own wood.
Northern Ireland ranks badly when it comes to woodland, with just over 6 per cent woodland cover, compared to the UK average of 12 per cent and a European average of 44 per cent.
With positive and collective efforts, let’s hope that the country can move up the European tree league. Forest Service in Northern Ireland shares the Trust’s vision to double woodland cover over the next 50 years. And a public opinion survey recently commissioned by the Trust reveals that 81 per cent of those quizzed in Northern Ireland recognise the undoubted benefits of trees.
To find out more and get your tree planting underway visit www.moretreesmoregood.org.uk
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
Kaye Coates at the Woodland Trust’s Bangor Office on 028 9127 5787; email kayecoates@woodlandtrust.org.uk or
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.
Here in Northern Ireland the Woodland Trust cares for 51 woods. These woods contain a mix of recently planted woodland, mature woodland and ancient woodland (that’s land continuously wooded since at least 1600). We have recently produced the first-ever comprehensive record of Northern Ireland’s ancient woodland; find out more at www.backonthemap.org.uk