Cheshire farmer supported to plant new woodland and dynamic hedge

The Mersey Forest is encouraging farmers and landowners to get in touch if they have suitable land for tree planting ahead of the next planting season.

This year, The Mersey Forest has supported a number of local farmers to introduce trees to their land, funded through the national Trees for Climate programme.

A dairy stock farm in Macclesfield is one local farm that has been supported by The Mersey Forest team and farm advisors, ELM Associates, to planted over 8,000 trees and shrubs on less productive land.

Owner, David Heath, explains how the new planting links to existing woodland in the area: "We've tried to fill in the gaps. One woodland is very old, another I planted in the 1980s and now I've planted these three young woodlands surrounding them. With multiple aged trees, it'll be interesting to see if there'll be a real variety of animals and plants coming through."

A dynamic hedgerow, which contains a higher variety of species tailored to maximise period of flowering and fruiting for wildlife, has also been planted.

Made up of over thousands of trees and shrubs and measuring 450 metres long, it will provide quality habitats for local wildlife. David added: "Hopefully it will attract birds and insects, providing a good corridor for wildlife and should provide a real feature, not only for me, but also for the wider community passing by."

Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey Forest, explains: “Tree planting can be beneficial to both land and business, offering shelter and shade for livestock, helping to manage water flow and soil erosion, improving soil quality, and attracting pollinators and other wildlife to your land.

“Our experienced team provide landowners with design, planning and planting advice and the grant covers up to 100% of planting costs, plus ongoing funding to support the maintenance of the trees.”

If you have land suitable for tree planting, now’s the time to contact us for the next planting season (October to March). Call us on 01925 816217 or email mail@merseyforest.org.uk.

Find out more about The Mersey Forest’s work by visiting our website: www.merseyforest.org.uk/planttrees