In a boost to Cornwall’s ‘Forest for Cornwall’ ambition to establish over 8,000 hectares of new carbon-absorbing trees, woodlands and forests, the Woodland Trust is providing over 57,000 trees for native woodland creation projects in Cornwall this winter.

Over 13,000 trees will be provided for free to Cornish Schools and Community Groups while residents have ordered over 12,000 trees from the Trust’s shop so far. The figure is completed by the trees that will be planted under the More Woods scheme.

For those who have not already done so, there is still plenty of time to request trees. 

Graham Burton, Woodland Trust Outreach Manager SW, said: “Trees are one of our greatest tools in the fight against climate change and Cornwall is really stepping up to meet this challenge. The Woodland Trust is pleased to be able to provide these trees to support the Forest for Cornwall and the people of Cornwall who are planting trees in their schools, with community groups and in their gardens. 

“These trees will be a vital contribution to our 50 million tree aim – we will need ambitious schemes like this to help us to achieve this target.” 

Edwina Hannaford, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, said: “That extraordinary total of over 57,000 trees so far is a giant step on our path to achieving extended canopy cover over an extra 2% of Cornwall’s total land area. The Woodland Trust is the ideal partner for this work. 

“We ask community groups, landowners, town and parish councils, environmental charities, schools and individuals to get involved in the Forest for Cornwall, and help us to really fight back on climate change.”

Forest for Cornwall is a major part of Cornwall’s programme to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, by transforming woods, parks, farmland, towns, villages and gardens over a decade.

The Woodland Trust is the UK's largest woodland conservation charity, with half a million members and supporters, and is supporting the Forest for Cornwall as part of its nationwide ‘Big Climate Fightback’ campaign backed by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

The Trust is encouraging people to plant trees during autumn as it launches an ambitious aim to plant 50 million trees by 2025.

If you’d like to know more about Forest for Cornwall project work, or Cornwall Council’s Carbon Neutral aims, use these links.

You can shop with the Woodland Trust here  https://shop.woodlandtrust.org.uk/