National Tree Week
National Tree Week, which takes place between the 28 November - 6 December, is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration, marking the start of the winter tree planting season (November to March each year). The Tree Council first established National Tree Week in March 1975 to support national replanting of trees after the outbreak of Dutch Elm disease. The Mersey Forest has been involved in National Tree Week for many years. Even though they’re not going to be getting together with community groups during this time due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will still be lots of trees planted.
To help tackle climate change we need to scale up the number of trees rapidly. Nationally there is a Government target to achieve 30,000 hectares of new woodland planting per year by 2025. Within the Cheshire West and Chester area, the Council Plan highlights that lasting change is needed to tackle the climate emergency, and includes a specific action to support the planting of trees, with a commitment in the draft Climate Emergency response plan to plant up to 750 hectares of new woodland by 2025.
Planting more trees will help lock up the carbon, but there are many other reasons to plant trees as Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey Forest explains:
"We've been growing The Mersey Forest for more than 25 years. The Mersey Forest Plan is a commitment to increase woodland cover and to help to offset our carbon emissions. The forest isn't just about carbon capture though. We've shown how trees and woodlands boost our local economy, reduce flooding, create new habitats for wildlife, improve health and wellbeing and increase community spirit.
"For example, the Natural Health Service uses the forest for evidence-based interventions to tackle poor health. Targeted at the areas with greatest health inequalities in west Cheshire, they make use of green spaces, our woodlands and parks, to help improve people's mental health and increase their physical activity.
"Tree planting is one way for our residents and communities to get involved in helping to address the climate emergency. It’s important to recognise that tree planting alone will not address the issue, we need to look at our actions in the round - our travel plans, energy consumption and even our diet."
Our Trees for Climate programme and Northern Forest provide funding for new trees and woodland planting, from small to large scale plans. If you are interested in getting involved in planting trees, please follow the Mersey Forest on social media to find out first about community planting events.
If you have land on which you would like to plant trees, please get in touch with The Mersey Forest for a site appraisal to check that the land is suitable - it's all about the 'right tree, right place'.