Latest news with #NatureforClimateFund
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Volunteers help to plant 38,000 trees
Volunteers have helped plant 38,000 trees to create a new woodland in East Yorkshire. The 25-hectare woodland is being created in Cottingham and is part of a project to deliver the Humber Forest and the wider Northern Forest, stretching from Liverpool to Hull. Native trees, such as oak, birch, aspen, rowan and wild cherry have been planted on land around Yorkshire Water's Cottingham pumping station. The Woodland Trust, project lead for the scheme near Hull, said the trees would make a "big difference for nature". The project is being funded by Defra's Nature for Climate Fund, an initiative funding projects aimed at tackling climate change. Alasdair Fagan from the Woodland Trust attended a tree planting session during the week. "Yorkshire and Hull is known to be the least wooded area in England, 2.2% woodland cover, which is really low," he said. "So 25 hectares on the urban fringes of Hull and Cottingham is going to make a really big difference for nature but also for people to have access to green space." Jackie Cain, who volunteered, said she wanted to "give something back and make it look lovely for future generations". Another volunteer, Lorraine Graham, said: "It would be absolutely great to be able to get out and see more variety of bird life." Richard Hampshire, a nature reserve warden for Yorkshire Water, said the new woodland had been planted as a home for nature. "This space is now protected," he said. "There's orchids growing down here, we've been hearing the bullfinches calling, song thrush, green woodpeckers, so loads of really wonderful bird life. "All this on people's doorsteps, and it's safeguarded for generations to come." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Call for volunteers to help plant 38,000 trees Community forest grows by 240,000 trees in a year The Woodland Trust
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New woodland will help research and the community
The planting of 60,000 saplings will create a community space as well as support research into the benefits of trees on the environment, a leading university has said. The new 60 hectare (148-acre) woodland on land at Silsoe in Bedfordshire, is being created by Cranfield University and the Forest of Marston Vale Trust over the next two years. It will be used as a teaching tool and resource for "ongoing research into the production and cultural benefits from trees, agroforestry, biodiversity, soil quality and carbon capture," the university said. It hoped the forest - of oak, pine, hazel, alder and birch trees - would also contribute to the university's "net zero targets". Darren Woodward, forest development manager at the Forest of Marston Vale Trust, said: "This project is a great example of how our Trees for Climate programme can make planting trees and creating new woodland a straightforward process for landowners." The charity has organised volunteers for the planting, which is part of the government-led Nature for Climate Fund. Gareth Ellis, head of energy and environment at the university, said it would contribute to its "ambitious net zero targets whilst providing a useful research resource for our students and academics". He added: "It's a fantastic opportunity to build an asset that not only benefits the local community, but enables our world-leading experts to continue their vital research into environmental sustainability." The area will "help to capture carbon from the atmosphere whilst providing an accessible green space for the local community through a series of existing footpaths and access rides", the university added. A public planting day is taking place from 11:00 to 15:00 GMT on 9 February. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Tiny forest planted in tennis court-sized plot Fresh saplings to restore disease-ravaged memorial Tree planted by Princess Anne stolen days later The Forest of Marston Vale Cranfield University
