A new woodland to be planted in Chew Valley will be the size of Winnie-The-Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood with 40,000 trees being planted to reduce floods, capture carbon and boost wildlife. Local charities Avon Needs Trees and the Forest of Avon Trust have appealed for volunteers to come forward to help plant the huge number of trees.
The new Great Avon Wood will be near Pensford, just south of Bristol and will consist of three linked woodland sites. Avon Needs Trees director Dave Wood, who is managing the project, said: “This is our biggest and most ambitious project to date and we need people to join the growing community to plant and care for the Great Avon Wood.”
The project has been awarded funding from The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Green Recovery Fund and funding for the land purchase has been provided through the Forest of Avon Trust (as one of England’s Community Forests) through their Trees for Climate Programme. Funding has also been provided by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Woodland Trust.
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Metro mayor Dan Norris confirmed that £700,000 from the Green Recovery Fund “will help set the stage for Great Avon Wood.” He said: “This significant funding will create jobs in the green economy and will help to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities." He also highlighted that while planting 40,000 would be “no easy task”, the West of England needed more woodland areas to reach net-zero-by-2030 targets.
England is one of the least densely forested countries in Europe with only 10 per cent woodland cover compared with an average of 38 per cent in the European Union, according to the charities. The River Avon catchment area has even less woodland at 8 per cent and the new woodland will be planted with over 30 species of trees, including hornbeam, oak, willow and alder.
Alex Stone, director of the Forest of Avon Trust described the project as “first of its kind”. He added: “This type of project is vital because finding land is the biggest challenge to doubling tree cover across the region, which we aim to achieve by 2050 to meet the Forest of Avon planned target.” He said the new woodland will benefit thousands in the years to come whether through helping to plant and caring for the wood or in activities such as walking.
Avon Needs Trees chair, Mark Funnell, said: “We have seen recently how the region is at risk of flooding. Great Avond Wood will play a role in reducing this risk in the River Avon catchment.
“As the new trees grow, their leaves and canopies will help slow the rate of rainfall that runs off the land into the River Chew, with long term benefits for local villages and towns. In addition the new wood will absorb hundreds of tons of carbon per year when they reach maturity making a significant contribution to the South West’s plans to tackle climate emergency.”
Saplings will be provided by the Woodlands Trust and regional director, Ross Kennerley said: “Trees do so much for us, they provide homes for wildlife, help combat pollution, are an answer to solving the climate crisis and provide a boost to our health and wellbeing.”
The first oak tree for the new woodland will be planted on February 22 by the mayor, along with local school children and staff and trustees from the charities as well as volunteers. The first site will be named at that event.
Planting days will take place on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout February and March and volunteers can sign up on the Avon Needs Trees website. Businesses are also encouraged to sign up for volunteering days.
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