The Forest for Cornwall team are highlighting the health and wellbeing benefits of increasing tree cover in community spaces on International Day of Forests.
The United Nations set March 21 as the day to celebrate and raise awareness of all types of forest, with this year’s theme being forests and health.
In Cornwall more than 550,000 trees have been planted in parks, fields, farms, schools, streets and gardens since 2019 as part of the Forest for Cornwall.
Every tree planted counts towards the 8,000-hectare programme – equivalent to up to 15,000 football pitches – which is key to helping Cornwall reach its goals to become carbon neutral and help nature recover.
Cornwall Council’s Forest for Cornwall team have helped put trees in the ground in more than 50 community sites over the last four years including at the following locations in the current planting season:
- More than 1,000 trees on land at Notter Bridge with support from volunteers of Landrake Parish Council.
- Various sites in Saltash with help from the Tree Saltash community group.
- Enigma Wood at St Wenn, near Bodmin, where children, staff and parents from St Wenn School helped plant 200 trees as part of the Forest for Cornwall’s Forest for My Place scheme. Pupils visit the wood regularly to learn about and care for the trees.
- Six Livewest estates in Penzance where 75 trees were planted with support from staff at Livewest Housing. Mature trees were placed near children’s play areas to provide shade as well as close to properties with no garden access so that residents could see improved green spaces.
- St Meriadoc Park in Camborne where the Forest for Cornwall team are helping to maintain the trees planted last year in partnership with Coastline Housing.
Cabinet member for environment and climate change Councillor Martyn Alvey said: “Trees increase biodiversity and capture carbon so are key to addressing the climate and ecological emergencies.
“But they also clean the air, provide shelter and improve our community spaces, encouraging us to go out and enjoy nature more thereby boosting our physical and mental health.
“We want to thank everyone who has helped put trees in the ground and transformed their community spaces for everyone to benefit and to ask everyone to register their planting with the Forest for Cornwall.”
Owain Holland, Tree Officer for LiveWest, said: “It’s been great working with Cornwall Council’s Forest for Cornwall team and engaging with our residents on the project. I really hope it will be well-received.”
Mark England, Coastline Housing’s head of innovation, sustainability and procurement, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Forest for Cornwall team, Coastline customers and colleague volunteers who have all participated in these planting projects. Residents in the area will benefit from increased wildlife and a much improved space to enjoy. We look forward to improving further areas in the near future.”
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership is calling on residents to consider making tree-planting their Pledge for Nature as part of their campaign to reverse the decline of nature.
Funding and support for tree-planting are available through the Forest for Cornwall team and initiatives such as the Cornwall Climate and Nature Fund supported by Crowdfunder.
To register your planting or for more information on increasing tree cover in your community go to:Forest for CornwallStory posted March 21, 2023
