Share

Creating a 60 mile corridor of trees

Tree by Linda Moore

A partnership project between three Wildlife Trusts, led by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, has been awarded £498,902 from the Trees Call to Action Fund, led by Defra, the Forestry Commission and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Severn Treescapes will create a 60 mile corridor of enhanced tree cover to connect two of England’s largest semi-natural woodlands - crossing Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The corridor will stretch from the Lower Wye Valley and Forest of Dean in the south, to the Wyre Forest in the north. 

This project will build on remaining pockets of ancient woodland to create a climate resilient landscape, all within 30 miles of the homes of around eight million people.

The funding will enable Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Herefordshire Wildlife Trust to work together to provide a team of on-the-ground advisors as well as a series of informative events, best practice visits, community engagement opportunities, grants advice and applications assistance.

Woman standing underneath and looking up into the canopy of a tree with a wide landscape behind them both by Matthew Roberts

Woman and tree by Matthew Roberts

The advisors will be on hand to support land managers, farmers and communities to access funding to plant and/or grow and manage woodlands and trees across this landscape. Advice on managing and improving existing woodland and hedgerows will also be available.

The Trees Call to Action Fund supports projects that protect trees and woodlands, boosts forestry skills and jobs, develops woodland creation partnerships and engages communities with nature. The fund will distribute grants between £250,000 - £500,000 to be spent over three years, funding 12 projects across England.

Dr Juliet Hynes, GWT’s Ecological Evidence Manager, said “The Severn Treescapes project will demonstrate that increasing woodland connectivity at a regional scale, whether through woodlands, hedgerows, orchards, agroforestry and other tree systems, can work alongside productive agricultural systems. Not only maintaining productivity but benefiting biodiversity and tackling the impacts of climate change. This project will sow the seeds of improvements for future generations to enjoy."

The other projects funded through this year’s Trees Call to Action Fund include six new Woodland Creation Partnerships across rural and urban areas, two projects to develop the skills and workforce of the trees and forestry sector and three projects that engage people, by planting an NHS forest, engaging farmers to improve woodland condition and restoring England’s hedgerows. All projects funded will support progress towards achieving the key objectives of the England Trees Action Plan – the Government’s long-term plans for England’s trees, woodlands and forests.

Related news