Tree-planting is helping improve our urban areas

LAST autumn Cornwall Council asked residents in five towns for their views on tree-planting in their local area.

The consultation was resoundingly positive, with 85% of residents in favour of planting more urban trees to help tackle the impacts of climate change.

Trees are one of our greatest weapons in helping fight climate change. They act as great carbon sinks, absorbing and locking up atmospheric carbon for centuries through photosynthesis. All parts of the tree and its surroundings play a role in carbon storage, from the roots to the deadwood and surrounding soils.

In UK woodlands alone there are 213 million tonnes of carbon being stored: but trees don’t just store carbon. They also prevent flooding, reduce city temperatures, reduce pollution and keep soil nutrientrich.

Now residents in Newquay, Callington, Torpoint, Falmouth and Saltash have been working with Cornwall Council’s Forest for Cornwall team and Cormac, planting trees to enhance their local environment and bring more nature into their communities.

While all the trees themselves have been funded by the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund, they will count towards the Forest for Cornwall. They aim to increase canopy cover across towns and villages throughout the region, following a “Right tree, right place” principle. This means trees are selected to suit the locations where they are planted.

By continually working with residents, businesses, town and parish councils, farmers, schools and community organisations the team has already planted more than 780,000 trees.

As well as helping to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies, the programme is giving more communities access to the benefits of nature on their doorsteps.

A total of 470 trees will be planted in nine towns over the next two years as part of the project.

Planting has already taken place in:

» Salt Mill Park, Saltash – 57 trees;

» A mix of sites across Torpoint – 46 trees;

» Grenville Crescent, Godolphin Road and Grenville Road, Falmouth – 23 trees;

» Glamis, Chester and

Roads, Newquay – 57 trees;

» Southern Road, Callington trees.

Projects are planned

Hilgrove for

– 77

Bude,

Bodmin, Padstow and Helston next year.

Councillor Martyn Alvey, Cornwall Council’s portfolio-holder for environment and climate change, said: “This Urban Tree Challenge Fund is aimed at increasing the number of urban trees across the UK to help tackle the impacts of climate change, improve people’s health and wellbeing and provide a place for nature in built-up areas. Although some urban areas in Cornwall may seem green, many are a long way off the Forestry Commission’s suggested 20% tree canopy cover target.

“With residents’ support we’ve selected areas with some of the lowest urban tree cover where trees will be most beneficial.

“We’ve had a fantastic response from communities helping with the planting, asking for more trees and also signing up to be Tree Guardians, to help young trees thrive in their important early years. The first year’s planting for the Urban Tree

Challenge Fund has also been completed in time for the first day of spring.”

Sign up as a Tree Guardian via tempotimecredits. org/ earn/ earngroups/17558 or contact Forest for Cornwall via customer.cornwall.gov. uk/forestforcornwall/

⨠ The Cormac team hard at work on Southern Road in Callington