Forestry England and British Airways have a one-year partnership to support planting 9,000 oak trees and help create an area of wildflower meadow at Wing Wood in Buckinghamshire. Source: Timberbiz
Wing Wood is a new 51-hectare woodland Forestry England is creating to be an inspiring green space for local people, a valuable habitat for wildlife and a sustainable source of timber. Support from British Airways’ Better World Community Fund is boosting the number of trees being planted and has kickstarted funding for the wildflower meadow in the new woodland.
Forestry England has already planted more than 109,000 broadleaf and conifer trees at Wing Wood and will plant another 23,000 this year. Thanks to British Airways’ support, this will include 9,000 oak trees, with British Airways staff joining Forestry England to begin the planting of these at Wing Wood. They also saw how the rest of the new woodland is being created including the preparations for the wildflower meadow, the first section of which will be planted in the spring.
With kickstarter support from British Airways, Forestry England has launched a fundraising campaign using Crowdfunder. They are aiming to raise £16,000 to expand the new wildflower meadow at Wing Wood, which will cover just over half a hectare.
It will blend with the woodland, providing essential food plants for pollinating insects such as butterflies and bees and shelter for small mammals and birds, creating a joined-up mosaic of habitats across Wing Wood. Later this year Forestry England will begin creating five new wildlife ponds, a community orchard and accessible paths.
As part of the partnership, British Airways staff will volunteer alongside Forestry England teams to help look after woodlands and forests at four sites across England.
The partnership announcement comes at a time of major national focus on tree planting, woodland creation and nature recovery, with Government targets to treble tree planting rates in England by 2024. Forestry England is planting at least 2,000 hectares of new, high-quality woodland in England by 2025. Several new woodlands are being created as Coronation Woods to mark the Coronation of King Charles III and leave a lasting legacy for people and nature.
