Wokingham receives cash for massive tree-planting ambitions
Woodland Trust hands the council £300,000 from its emergency fund
Wokingham is to receive more than a quarter of a million pounds from an emergency tree fund.
The council will use the money to plant 250,000 trees across the borough.
The funding from the Woodland Trust forms part of the nature charity's ambition to establish 50 million more trees by 2025 to help tackle the climate crisis.
Local councils are receiving a share of a £2.9 million “emergency tree fund” to help them plant trees and create green spaces in their communities.
The nature charity said it is providing funding to local councils at a time when finances are tight to help create more green spaces and woodland which people have found valuable in the pandemic.
The charity said many local authorities have declared climate and nature emergencies and set out ambitious tree-planting targets – and the funding is aimed at helping make their green projects a reality.
The Woodland Trust's John Tucker said:
“The trust’s Emergency Tree Fund has the power to inspire tree-planting and woodland creation and galvanise the need to treasure trees and green spaces in their neighbourhoods across the UK.
“What the country’s fight against Covid has shown is how communities have come together in a time of crisis.
“As the pandemic hopefully abates, getting outside and planting, maintaining and enjoying trees will be a way for this spirit to be harnessed once again in a different but a very important way – to tackle the climate and nature crises which also affects us all.”
It hopes to expand the scheme further in 2022.