Woodland Trust donates 6,735 trees in Warwickshire as it strives to plant 50million within five years - The Leamington Observer

Woodland Trust donates 6,735 trees in Warwickshire as it strives to plant 50million within five years

Leamington Editorial 19th Oct, 2020 Updated: 19th Oct, 2020   0

A TOTAL of 6,735 trees are being given to 40 groups across Warwickshire as the Woodland Trust strives to plant 50million trees across the West Midlands in the next five years.

The ambitious plan announced today is part of the trust’s Big Climate Fightback to combat the climate emergency.

So far more than 44,000 trees sent out to schools and community groups across the West Midlands as people are urged to get involved with the plantings this autumn.

The Woodland Trust is sending some 44,265 free trees to 233 community groups and schools across the whole West Midlands.




It is part of the Emergency Tree Fund of up to £1million to help local authorities plant trees and create woods.

In addition the charity is urging the nation to join with it by launching The Big Climate Fightback.


It is calling on millions of people to plant trees throughout November – building support to sustain the biggest mass planting campaign the country has ever seen over the next few years.

Covid-hit 2020 has been a tough year for so many, not least in woodland conservation where UK tree planting is down (by 30 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to 2019) and with more challenges on communities to get out to plant in large numbers.

All this despite the desperate need for more trees in the ground to fight climate change.

Last year the Government committed to plant 50million trees each year until 2050 to achieve net zero carbon.

The trust says now is the time to turn those words into action.

CEO Darren Moorcroft said: “A year on from many big promises and statements about the need for more trees in order to achieve carbon net zero by 2050, they mainly remain just that, words.”

Last year the Woodland Trust planted more than 4million trees – bosses say it was a great achievement but even that was well below what was needed in the UK to meet climate change targets.

“Today I outline our commitment to establish 50m trees by 2025 to achieve our ten year aim of a tree for everyone in the UK.

“This would more than double our most successful year ever and state our ambition to plant 10m trees a year to 2025 and further, 20 per cent of the entire UK yearly target as set out by the Government.

“Our new Emergency Tree Fund is another bold step to achieving our tree planting aim – by offering local authorities an opportunity to get on board and join The Big Climate Fightback.

“But we will require people from across all sections of society to help us achieve our ambition and today we start to mobilise that army.”

A host of celebrities have already given their backing for the BCF 2020 including Woodland Trust President and presenter Clive Anderson, JLS singer, presenter and farmer JB Gill, former Coronation Street actress Debra Stephenson and former Doctor Who actress Charity Wakefield.

Trees are seen as nature’s answer to climate change – they soak up carbon dioxide and deliver oxygen.

For more on the Big Climate Fightback 2020, visit woodlandtrust.org.uk/bigclimatefightback, follow the campaign online #BigClimateFightback

Tree packs have been generously funded by lead partners Sainsbury’s, Players of People’s Postcode Lottery, Lloyds Bank, OVO Energy, Joules, Bank of Scotland and Sofology.

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