THE HEART of England Forest was the destination for a recent Stratford District Council day trip.
Councillors were invited to one of the charity’s sites in Binton where 40,000 native broadleaf trees will be planted this season.
They heard all about the work of The Heart of England Forest project, which started 20 years ago with the aim of planting and preserving a large native forest in the heart of England, stretching from the remnants of the ancient Forest of Arden to the edge of the Vale of Evesham.
So far more than 1.9million trees have been planted and the charity is nearly a quarter of the way to its 30,000 acre goal. It is already the largest new native broadleaf woodland in England.
After a demonstration on tree planting, councillors got to work and together planted 125 native broadleaf trees as part of the #GrowTheForest campaign.
SDC chairman Edward Fitter – who has chosen the project as one of his charities to support during his term of office – said: “The Heart of England Forest are a tremendous locally based charity. They are helping to reverse centuries of woodland decline by creating and conserving thousands of acres of broadleaf forest.”
SDC’s climate change spokesman Ian Shenton said it was aopportunity to see at first-hand the work being carried out by The Heart of England Forest.
He added: “It is important that we encourage everyone to plant as many trees as possible as they provide oxygen whilst capturing carbon and restoring forests and woodlands provides a natural habitat for bio diversity, walks for everyone, shade and helps in flood protection.”
While Coun Susan Juned, the council’s Liberal Democrat leader said: “Planting a mixture of genetically diverse, native species plays an important role in stopping dangerous climate change by locking up carbon, but it also gives our grandchildren and great grandchildren the chance to walk in and enjoy the mature woodlands of the future.”
