Almost 9,000 schools and community groups benefited from the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity’s popular scheme in 2022 and now applications for trees to be delivered in 2023 are open. Source: Timberbiz
Woodland Trust senior project lead Vicki Baddeley hopes even more schools and groups will take up the offer of free saplings and get planting in the coming year.
“This year our communities have really felt the impact of climate change firsthand, and many are seeing the incredible benefits trees can bring to provide much needed shade, shelter, and help to prevent flooding,” she said.
“By offering the free packs we aim to equip our schools and communities with a simple yet mighty tool to combat the effects of climate change, as well as provide ever more vital food and habitats for local wildlife.”
The figures for 2022 are the Trust’s best yet, surpassing the previous best total of more than 1.1m in 2021.
“It’s so important to develop a love of nature because, to quote Sir David Attenborough, ‘no one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced’,” Ms Baddeley said.
“By planting the hedge and seeing the project through, the children have been so engaged and have been able to learn so much.
“Aside from the satisfaction of planting 30 new trees at this critical time, doing something positive to help combat climate change and improving the local ecosystem, it has the potential to inspire both children and adults and it’s so easy to apply.”
The Woodland Trust’s free tree packs scheme has seen trees sent far and wide with the UK Spring giveaway alone delivering a total 623,910 saplings to 3,865 organisations across the UK:
- England: 506,415 trees to 3186 organisations
- Scotland: 76,665 trees to 474 organisations
- Wales: 40,830 trees to 205 organisations
“There will be 600,000 saplings up for grabs in the spring round of applications and I have no doubt they will go quickly,” Ms Baddeley said.
“Giving away 1.3m in 2022 will be a huge achievement, but I am confident we can do even better in 2023 and deliver every one of the 1.4m saplings available.”
