Landowners encouraged to plant a lasting legacy on their land
The Mersey Forest is encouraging Cheshire and Merseyside residents with land suitable for tree planting to consider creating a woodland on their land, as part of a new campaign.
The Grow Your Roots campaign, which is being promoted by 13 Community Forests across England, sets out how landowners can leave a positive lasting impact on their land, by planting trees.
The Mersey Forest is the area's local Community Forest, with years of experience supporting landowners to plant woodlands on their land.
Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey Forest, said: "Introducing trees on your land can be a great way to leave a long-lasting legacy for you, your family and nature, and is a positive action you can take to address our changing climate.
"Creating a new woodland will provide a home for wildlife, boost biodiversity and is a chance for you to put down roots in your local area that will last for generations."
Through the Trees for Climate programme, The Mersey Forest offers grants that cover up to 100 per cent of costs and 15 years of maintenance payments for tree planting projects across Cheshire and Merseyside. The team provides expert advice and will provide landowners with as much support as they need throughout the planning, funding and planting process.
David Martin, from Mottram St Andrews, Cheshire, had been considering planting a woodland on his land for some time, and has been supported by The Mersey Forest to bring his ambition to life. David said: "I had an idea about which trees I wanted and drew a sketch of a wood with paths and a glade near the middle.
"The Mersey Forest team took over dealing with the detailed design, obtaining the grant, and ordering the trees and planting materials. I now have a field which already looks bigger, with the tree guards cosseting the baby oaks, birch, Scots pines and others, hinting at the wood which I can see in my mind's eye.
"At the age of 73, I have something to look forward to when I am in my nineties and, indeed, the years between, as the saplings take form and the wildlife take advantage of new habitats. I just wish I had done it 20 years ago."
The Trees for Climate programme is a government-backed, multi-million pound woodland creation programme, which supports landowners to integrate trees on their land. The programme is part of the Defra- led Nature for Climate Fund, which supports England's Tree Action plan.
The tree planting season runs from October to March each year. Whether you have a small pocket of unused land or several acres of farmland, get in touch today to start on your journey to transforming your land with trees.
