Trust branches out with rare Freewoods offer

Landowners across Essex are being offered a tree-mendous opportunity - the planting of a new native woodland, completely free of charge, with the Woodland Trust.

The Freewoods offer from the Woodland Trust, the UK's largest woodland conservation charity, takes its woodland creation programme in a new direction by seeking new partners and new locations for tree planting.

The offer is expected to strike a chord with environmentally-aware landowners wishing to enhance their land for wildlife. By spring 2009 selected landowners could see their own mini-forests planted of oak, ash, birch and cherry thanks to the Woodland Trust.

Essex is one of three counties to pilot the Freewoods opportunity, with the Woodland Trust working alongside Essex County Council to help the authority's aim to plant an additional 250,000 trees as part of its "Essex Works" tree planting programme.

Cllr. Tracey Chapman, Essex County Council cabinet member for environment and waste said: "Our tree pledge aims to help produce a fine sustainable countryside that benefits both wildlife and people."

"By working with local landowners we are helping to improve and develop land that may otherwise be lost. I would encourage anyone who fits the criteria to apply. The benefits for our landscape and environment are long lasting'

The other Freewoods pilot counties are Lancashire and Yorkshire, with some individual projects already approved elsewhere including tree planting in a new nature reserve and a new wood on land purchased to save it from development.

The Freewoods offer includes site survey and advice on tree species with the Trust then planting and looking after the trees for two years. The minimum planting area per applicant is one hectare (2.5 acres).

"As a starting point all you need is the land and to share our commitment to increase native woodland cover," said Trust project manager Peter Leeson.

"The project is designed to have minimal paperwork and no bureaucracy. The pilot project has limited funds, however, and we will be choosing the best project sites from the applications we receive".

"We are passionate about the need to increase native woodland cover, not only to help wildlife prosper but also to increase the quality of everyone's lives. Of the UK's total woodland, only one third is native broadleaf trees."

"An ideal new woodland area would be near ancient woodland or a site of ecological value on arable or improved grazing land. We will not plant trees on sites of high existing ecological value."

"We know from our work that creating new woodland can be a big decision for landowners - but we also know that more and more people want to plant or manage woods and to help wildlife and biodiversity."

Research shows that reversing historically low woodland also offers green space for people for exercise and mental relaxation, improves water quality, reduces localised flooding, acts as a cooling influence locally and can play a role in mitigating the effects of climate change.

"Planting new native trees is vitally important to us," Peter added. "Since the 1930's England and Wales have lost half of their native woodland cover. England is now one of the least wooded countries in Europe, second from the bottom of the European woodland cover league."

The Freewoods programme aims to plant trees by the end of March 2009 and has a limited budget.

For Further Information

Interested parties should contact: Naomi Fox at the Woodland Trust. Tel: 01476 581111 or email: naomifox@woodlandtrust.org.uk

The Woodland Trust is the UK's leading woodland conservation charity with 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people's understanding and enjoyment of woodland. Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free. Further news can be found via this website: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk (link will open in a new browser window)