National Trust working to plant over 78 acres of woodland in Lunt this winter

This winter, the National Trust and England’s Community Forests are working in partnership to create around 519 hectares (1,282 acres) of new woodlands and woody habitats across England, equivalent in size to more than 800 football pitches. 

This ambitious series of planting projects has been funded and supported by England’s  Community Forests’ Trees for Climate programme, part of the Department for Environment,  Food & Rural Affairs’ (Defra) Nature for Climate Fund. Thanks to £7.1 million in funding, a  total of 20 planting projects will be completed on land across England, the majority of which is cared for by the conservation charity, with some of the largest in Devon, Gloucestershire,  Yorkshire and Merseyside. 

By the end of March, almost 416,000 trees will have been planted to establish new woodlands, wood pasture, hedgerows and orchards. These woody habitats will help mitigate climate  change, provide homes for nature and accessible woods close to towns and cities for people  and communities to enjoy. 

The largest tree planting project is at Lunt in Sefton, Merseyside, where work is now underway  to plant 78 hectares (192.7 acres) with nearly 93,000 trees. The land was recently purchased  from Sefton Council by the National Trust. Part funded by The Mersey Forest’s Trees for  Climate programme, the acquisition will connect with the Community Forest network, open up  access to the countryside for local communities and join a mosaic of nature-rich landscapes  together. 

A network of 15 Community Forests, the England’s Community Forests initiative started over  three decades ago and it has been working in partnership with the National Trust since 2021.  By the end of this spring, an impressive total of 693 hectares (1712 acres) of trees will have  been planted on Trust land over the three years of the partnership, creating the equivalent of  over 1,070 football pitches of vital woody habitats. 

John Deakin, the National Trust head of Trees and Woodland said:

“We’ve found lots of natural  synergy with the Community Forests in the way we approach woodland and tree establishment  to give maximum value for people, nature and climate. 

“Trees are our most powerful tool in locking up carbon and mitigating climate change. Working  in partnership allows us to plant even more trees, restore more spaces for nature and store  carbon on an even bigger scale.  

“Meanwhile, with each new area of planting connecting with existing habitats plus extending the  size of local Community Forest areas, we can ensure that more people have opportunities to  connect with nature close to where they live, something we all need.” 

At Buckland Abbey in Devon, over 30,000 trees are being planted in the tranquil Tavy Valley working with the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest, funded by the Trees for  Climate programme. Alongside boosting woodland cover, extending hedgerows and restoring  wood pasture, the reinstatement of an orchard will bring back a historical feature to Buckland,  complete with heritage fruit, hazel and cobnut trees. 

At Killerton, also in Devon, the National Trust is working in partnership with Plymouth and South  Devon Community Forest with funding from the Trees for Climate programme to establish and  restore 93 hectares (230 acres) of woodland and wood pasture. The establishment of 69,000  trees will improve the estate for wildlife, people and the planet.  

Collaboration is at the heart of the woodland creation project at Killerton, with a network of  volunteer and community groups, schools and local people joining in tree planting events. The planned addition of 6.9km of permissive paths plus improvements to existing muddy paths across the estate will significantly improve public access to the new woodlands and the wider  parkland at Killerton. Linking to local communities including Cranbrook, West Clyst and  Cullompton along with those in the nearby city of Exeter, more people will have the opportunity  to get closer to nature near where they live.  

In Gloucestershire at Sherborne Farm on the Sherborne Park Estate, the National Trust is working in partnership with a tenant to plant 53,000 trees. Working with The Great Western  Community Forest and funded by the Trees for Climate programme, the patchwork of new woodlands across the historic estate will bring back wildlife and create ‘nature-friendly’ farmland. 

Paul Nolan, Chair of England’s Community Forests and Director of The Mersey Forest, said:

“We’re really pleased to be working closely with the National Trust on woodland creation  projects across the country. Our Trees for Climate programme aims to deliver 76,000 hectares  of trees and woodland across England by 2026 and the projects we’re supporting on National  Trust sites will play a big part in this. 

“Increasing tree cover in our communities is vital for our health and wellbeing and to help us  adapt to our changing climate, which is becoming more and more challenging. Trees can help  cool our towns and cities, help alleviate flooding, prevent soil erosion and cut pollution.  

“Working alongside landowners and partners, such as the National Trust will help us to increase  tree cover across Community Forest areas, boosting biodiversity, local economies and people’s  access to nature. We are looking forward to developing our joint work with the National Trust to  help deliver the Community Forest Plans across the country.”

Defra Forestry Minister Mary Creagh added:

“This government is committed to protecting and  restoring nature, and trees are at the forefront of our plans to reduce emissions. We recently  launched a dedicated Tree Planting Taskforce and have pledged up to £400 million for tree  planting and peatland restoration over the current and next financial year.  

“Alongside National Trust and our partners at England Community Forests, we are creating new  woodlands that will bring communities and woodlands closer together for generations to come.” 

The conservation charities’ partnership with England’s Community Forests directly contributes to  its commitment to plant and establish 20 million trees by 2030. In addition to funding from England’s Community Forests Trees for Climate programme through Defra’s Nature for Climate  Fund, some projects have received further donations from the National Trust’s Plant a Tree fund  and HSBC UK. 

These planting projects are also part of a wider success story for all tree planting in England  over the past year, the last planting season saw tree planting rates increase by 52 per cent from  the previous year with 5,529 hectares of new woodland planted. This marks significant  progress towards meeting the Environment Act target of achieving 16.5% tree and woodland  cover in England by 2050.  

Find more information on the National Trust website.

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