£2.4m boost set to help News growing interest in forest
CREATING MORE WOODS PART OF NATURE FOR CLIMATE FUND
THE National Forest will receive an extra £2.4 million to help plant more trees and wooded spaces over the coming year.
It will enable the creation of more green spaces for people to enjoy, and new wildlife habitats.
The government funding comes as part of year three of the Nature for Climate Fund, a package for all woodland creation delivery partners to try to help meet the government’s tree planting targets.
The National Forest successfully achieved the milestone of more than 200 hectares of new forest habitat created last year, through a combination of land acquisition, grants to farmers and landowners, and use of the planning system.
This resulted in over 200,000 trees being planted throughout the 200 square miles of the Forest, covering parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
John Everitt, chief executive of the National Forest Company (NFC), the organisation that leads the creation of the National Forest, said: “The additional funding is excellent news and will enable us to work with partners, communities and businesses to continue the transformation of this area.
“The National Forest demonstrates how trees can lead a positive response to the urgency of climate change, and how woodlands near to where people live and work bring benefits to our wellbeing, support farming and industry, and promote nature’s recovery.”
Forest cover in the National Forest has now reached over 22 per cent, up from only 6 per cent in the early 1990s. The national average for woodland cover in England is 10 per cent. The National Forest achieves its continuing success by working with businesses, landowners within the Forest and local communities, as well as individuals who dedicate a tree in the Forest to remember a loved one or celebrate one of life’s special moments.
Minorca woods, formerly a deep mine and open cast coal mine, is a new woodland site near Measham. The transformation of the site has been supported by a 75-year partnership between the NFC and UK clothing brand FatFace.
Over 53,000 trees have been planted on the site so far, and the carbon stored as they grow will form part of a business model that supports both carbon reduction and storage. A carefully considered mix of different tree species has been used, consisting of both broadleaved trees and conifers.
Some of these were chosen for their ability to take up carbon quickly, others chosen specifically for the benefits they provide for wildlife.
Grant-aided schemes have also led to 50,000 trees being planted this year. These schemes can support landowners of all kinds, including farmers, parish councils, businesses, local authorities and schools. The NFC’s various schemes cover large-scale forest creation over many hectares, or tree planting of less than a single hectare in a small corner of a field.
As well as enabling tree planting at scale, the schemes provide many different benefits for local access and wildlife habitats, such as this year’s mixed woodland planting by Leicestershire County Council at the restored Ravenstone quarry, specifically designed to enhance the local barn owl population.
Schoolchildren also continue to be actively involved in creating the National Forest, including from a selection of Leicester city schools through the Forest Foxes project. This is a partnership of the NFC, Leicester City Football Club and the Forest School Association, offering outdoor learning experiences to inner city schoolchildren.
This year the children have helped plant over 1,000 field maple, silver birch, alder and oak trees at Ratby.
A spokesman for the Forest said: “Everyone can get involved in supporting tree planting in the National Forest. Individuals can contribute through the National Forest’s Dedicate a Tree scheme, and landowners within the area can find details on all the schemes available at nationalforest.org.”
Woodlands near to where people live and work bring benefits to our wellbeing, support farming and industry
Landowners based outside the National Forest can find details of national schemes to support tree planting at: