Latest news with #TreesforClimate
BBC News
29-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Swindon receives 50,000 newly-planted trees in five years
More than 50,000 trees have been planted across a town during the past five years, exceeding expectations and providing rewarding work for Wildlife Trust wanted to plant trees across 494 acres (200 hectares) - but 568 acres (230 hectares) have been covered, with more trees still to demand has led to trees being planted in some unused allotments which are prone to wildlife trust and Swindon Borough Council worked together on the Great Western Community Forest and Swindon Forest Meadows projects, launching Trees for Climate five years ago. 'New confidence' Karl Scaplehorn, who began volunteering with Swindon Forest Meadows, said: "I joined the wellbeing group five years ago."It's very rewarding, I've learned new skills, gained new confidence and the people are great. It's good to be out in nature. I'd recommend it." The rewards for volunteer James Pitter include a boost to his career. He graduated with a degree in wildlife biology last year and has now secured a job working on bat ecology."Employers wanted practical experience and skills," he said."I've learned new skills and got more experience. I've been involved in tree planting, I've managed people, worked on infrastructure like paths and fences and cleared habitats." Peter Field started volunteering with the project in 2020 after he retired, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said: "I was a history teacher, so I've learned a lot more about nature than I knew, and being outdoors is good my health, both my body and head."There are a lot of interesting projects, and it gives me a sense of purpose and wellbeing to come and volunteer here." Neil Pullen, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's conservation officer, said the tree canopy in the borough has increased from 8% to 13%.The trust has also been collecting seeds from native trees in Swindon. "There are great 'cultural' trees in Swindon which we'd like to take seeds from," he added."The mulberry at the Richard Jefferies Museum, for example, or the great willow in Wroughton. If we could use the seeds from those trees here, we'd be preserving the cultural legacy as well as the genetic one."Other smaller projects have been going on, such as counting Great Crested Newts and clearing flood meadows."We have an amazing history and culture of trees and nature here in Swindon and we should shout about it and celebrate it," said Mr Pullen.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grant will allow more tree-planting for town
A town will be able to enact the next phase of a project after it was awarded a grant for planting more trees. The grant from the Trees for Climate programme will go towards the Trowbridge Green Thread project, named to the reflect Trowbridge's weaving history. Since spring 2024, about 400 trees have been planted in the town as well as thousands of whips, which are smaller tree seedlings. The town council said this time it will invest in some bigger tree guards after some trees were damaged during the first phase. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Part of the national Government-led Nature for Climate fund, Trees for Climate is a woodland creation programme which is taking place across England's Community Forests. Planting has happened in parks, allotments and green spaces like Biss Meadows, Paxcroft Brook Open Space and the Sensory Garden as well as fruit trees for The Mead School and Castle Mead School. The council added it had wanted to plant more trees in urban areas, but could not get permission from landowners for all the places suggested by residents. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. New national forest to see 20m trees planted Thousands of arboretum trees planted after disease Work under way to plant 20 community orchards
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grant will allow more tree-planting for town
A town will be able to enact the next phase of a project after it was awarded a grant for planting more trees. The grant from the Trees for Climate programme will go towards the Trowbridge Green Thread project, named to the reflect Trowbridge's weaving history. Since spring 2024, about 400 trees have been planted in the town as well as thousands of whips, which are smaller tree seedlings. The town council said this time it will invest in some bigger tree guards after some trees were damaged during the first phase. More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Part of the national Government-led Nature for Climate fund, Trees for Climate is a woodland creation programme which is taking place across England's Community Forests. Planting has happened in parks, allotments and green spaces like Biss Meadows, Paxcroft Brook Open Space and the Sensory Garden as well as fruit trees for The Mead School and Castle Mead School. The council added it had wanted to plant more trees in urban areas, but could not get permission from landowners for all the places suggested by residents. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. New national forest to see 20m trees planted Thousands of arboretum trees planted after disease Work under way to plant 20 community orchards
BBC News
06-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Trowbridge can start phase two tree planting after grant
A town will be able to enact the next phase of a project after it was awarded a grant for planting more grant from the Trees for Climate programme will go towards the Trowbridge Green Thread project, named to the reflect Trowbridge's weaving spring 2024, about 400 trees have been planted in the town as well as thousands of whips, which are smaller tree town council said this time it will invest in some bigger tree guards after some trees were damaged during the first phase. Part of the national Government-led Nature for Climate fund, Trees for Climate is a woodland creation programme which is taking place across England's Community has happened in parks, allotments and green spaces like Biss Meadows, Paxcroft Brook Open Space and the Sensory Garden as well as fruit trees for The Mead School and Castle Mead council added it had wanted to plant more trees in urban areas, but could not get permission from landowners for all the places suggested by residents.
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
The Nottinghamshire farmers who swapped their dairy cows for trees
A couple have swapped their organic dairy farm for an agroforestry project - planting thousands of fruit and nut trees alongside food and fodder crops. Debra and Tom Willoughby, from Normanton-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, found themselves sinking deeper into debt because milk prices did not meet their have now switched to create one of the country's biggest agroforestry projects, covering 100 hectares (247 acres).The Willoughbys have planted 11,900 trees - mostly apples for juicing, but also pears, plums, walnuts and hazelnuts. They were able to take advantage of the locally administered Trees for Climate fund, which paid for the saplings, tree guards and planting along with ongoing maintenance. In future the farm will be eligible for government agroforestry grants of £849 per hectare. The grants are intended to support farmers to improve soil, water and air quality as well as to reduce flooding and contribute to the UK's net zero targets. After starting dairy farming in 1995, the couple said the last few years had been tough, and by December 2023, they had had started to plan their exit by planting apple trees three years ago, and said their business had since become more resilient. Mrs Willoughby says the milk price per litre was never enough to cover their investments in the 2023 they were paid 45 pence per litre but calculated it would need to climb to 55 pence for them to make a living."When things were good, they were really good, but you'd never quite get out of debt," Mrs Willoughby explained."The milk price would drop, and we'd be back to having to borrow money again. And we didn't feel that we'd ever get out of it."We're lucky. The owner here is very supportive, so we don't have to be worried doing a long-term project like this."It is a long-term investment." Agroforestry - the process of combining agriculture and trees - has many advantages, according to the Soil charity says planting trees, shrubs and hedges on farms can give farmers healthier soil and higher yields, as well as creating vital homes for below ground, tree roots can help reduce soil erosion, soak up flood water, and improve fertility through mycorrhizal fungus. Farmers also benefit from growing more than one product to sell."At those times when there is a drought and one crop doesn't come, then you've got two crops in the field that you can harvest," added Mrs Willoughby said nurturing crops and livestock alongside trees was nothing new."In the olden days there used to be sheep and pigs underneath apple trees in traditional orchards," he said."Apples have been grown for centuries, and they're an important crop, but we seem to have lost that in our modern farming systems." 'You must be bonkers' The couple said taking on the new initiative and discovering how to manage fruit trees instead of animals had been a steep learning Willoughby said there had been a lot of interest from the local community, with volunteers visiting the farm to help plant many of the couple have also been running educational visits for nearby schools and are planning family fun days."Learning how to determine if they're [the trees] healthy or not, and addressing their needs - [there are] a lot of transferable skills, but we've still got a lot to learn," said Mrs Willoughby added: "In terms of farmers, they're all saying, 'what the hell are you doing? You must be bonkers'."But it's all positive, and we'll see where it leads us."
