Woodland Trust £300,000 Cash Boost For Wokingham Tree Planting

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£300,000 cash boost for Wokingham to boost tree cover and tackle climate change

Thousands of new trees will be planted across the Wokingham area thanks to a cash boost from the Woodland trust.

The council will benefit from the charity’s Emergency Tree Fund, set up to encourage local authorities to make trees a central part of their policies and boost tree cover to tackle climate change.

Wokingham Council is to plant 250,000 trees over the coming years to make the area greener.

Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for resident services, communications and emissions said:

“As part of our goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, we committed to planting 250,000 trees over the next five years and this funding from the Woodland Trust is fantastic news for Wokingham borough.

“To get such a large financial contribution not only helps kickstart our tree planting programme, but shows that the Woodland Trust thinks we are doing the right thing and has faith in our future tree maintenance as well. We welcome the invaluable advice and support from such a well-informed charity to ensure that we will be able to maximise the wide range of benefits that trees and woods can deliver over the next few years in relation to health, climate change, amenity and water management.”

In total, £2.9 million will going to councils across the country. It is a key part of the charity’s recently announced ambitious aim to plant 50 million trees by 2025.

John Tucker, the Woodland Trust’s Director of Woodland Outreach at the Trust said:

“The Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund has the power to inspire tree planting and woodland creation and galvanise the need to treasure trees and green spaces in neighbourhoods across the UK. What the country’s fight against covid has shown is how communities have come together in a time of crisis. As the pandemic hopefully abates, getting outside and planting, maintaining and enjoying trees will be a way for this spirit to be harnessed once again in a different but a very important way – to tackle the climate and nature crises which also affects us all.”

Woodland Trust Emergency Fund

Among the aims of the Emergency Tree Fund are to boost green spaces and therefore health, plant trees to soak up harmful carbon, combat pollution and create detailed strategies to meet carbon zero targets.

Other councils receiving the fund include Wolverhampton, which is creating a real urban tree planting initiative and is looking to plant pockets of woodland on a range of open spaces in the city. And the Black Country where the money will go towards a comprehensive assessment of the area’s tree stock.

To achieve its 50 million tree aim the Trust is aiming to create new woods as well as work with the likes of landowners, the Government, businesses and the public. Its Emergency Tree Fund may be expanded should this prove a success.