- Almost 2,000 hectares of new woodland and hedgerows have been planted across England’s Community Forests this year, the equivalent of 2,000 rugby pitches of trees.
- 17,500 volunteers have helped plant trees across over 600 different projects this year.
- 5 million trees have been planted across England’s Community Forests since the Trees for Climate programme began in 2020, doubling planting rates year on year.
This year England’s Community Forests planted over 2.4 million trees and hedgerows, cementing their role as the leading woodland creation force in England.
Despite covering only 20% of England, the 15 Community Forests have planted 35% of all Defra-funded woodland during the 23/24 planting season and a total of 5 million trees since their Trees for Climate funding programme began 4 years ago.
Working with private and public landowners in and around some of the largest urban areas in the country, the projects managed by England’s Community Forests are designed to maximise benefits for people and nature. From planting trees at the top of river catchments to prevent flooding in downstream communities to increasing community access to local green spaces, projects delivered this year will have a long-term positive impact on health and wellbeing, nature recovery, climate resilience and much more.
Paul Nolan, Chair of England’s Community Forests and Director of The Mersey Forest, said:
“England’s Community Forests have a long history of working alongside landowners, communities and key partners to deliver successful woodland establishment projects across the 15 Community Forest areas. Our local knowledge and flexible approach has helped us to increase the number of woodland creation projects we’ve delivered in recent years, providing support to landowners to establish woodlands for the benefit of their land and nature. Our work is focused on bringing trees and people together and we’re proud to be playing such an instrumental part in nature recovery in England, which our communities will benefit from for many generations.”
Ongoing research from Liverpool John Moores University into the wider impact of tree planting across England’s Community Forests, and the five-year Trees for Climate programme, is showing some positive results based on the planting completed to date.
- The trees planted are expected to sequester an additional 45,489 tonnes CO2e per year over their lifetime.
- Once established, the trees planted will provide an additional 608,089 m3 of flood water storage capacity every year. This is equivalent to roughly 243 Olympic swimming pools.
- 71% of the woodlands planted through the programme have full or partial public access, including schools, meaning that more of our communities will be able to connect with nature.
Defra has separately calculated that for every £1 invested in the Trees for Climate programme £8 of wider benefits are provided to Community Forest areas.
The work of England’s Community Forests is also part of a wider success story for all tree planting in England over the past year, the last planting season (23/24) saw tree planting rates increase by 52% 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.
Trees for Climate funding, part of Defra’s Nature for Climate Fund, is available to landowners and land managers across England’s Community Forest areas, to cover up to 100% of all woodland creation project costs as well as future maintenance.
