400,000 trees available for new green spaces

Community spaces and school grounds are set to benefit from a project to plant almost half a million trees.

The massive planting scheme is being organised by The Woodland Trust as part of it’s More Trees, More Good” campaign.

Targeting deprived areas and school grounds, over 400,000 native trees are to be planted by an army of volunteers within the next month.

Apply for a tree pack

A quarter of the trees will be planted by community groups who have applied for a free community tree pack.

[pullquote]The take up of our free trees has been unprecedented
Graham Blight. Woodland Trust[/pullquote]

Forming part of the Woodland Trust’s “More Trees, More Good” campaign, which aims to facilitate the planting of 20 million native trees every year for the next 50 years, this first round sees almost 500 communities benefit.

Graham Blight, Head of People Engagement at the Woodland Trust: “The take up of our free trees has been unprecedented, particularly by those in deprived urban areas who recognise and value the contribution trees make to their neighbourhoods.

Fruit and nut trees

Later this year 10,000 schools will also contribute  as 300,000 children get the opportunity to plant their first tree and improve their school grounds.

Schools will plant trees designed to increase the availability of food sources for many of the UK’s native species which, when mature, will not only provide edible nuts and fruit but also shelter and wildlife habitats.

Since autumn 2004 schools and youth groups across the UK have planted more than 7m trees with the Woodland Trust.

Get your free trees

Schools and communities can apply online now to receive a free tree pack in Spring 2011 at MoreTreesMoreGood.org.uk/schools.

Landowners can also contact the Trust’s MOREwoods team for help and advice on how to plant up land of a minimum of 1 hectare.

The Trust’s free tree packs have been supported by a range of funders and individuals including Sainsbury’s, TK Maxx, The Earth Day Network – part of the Avatar One Million Tree Initiative, The Mark Leonard Trust and The Michael Marks Charitable Trust.