Solihull Council hosts first planting of Commonwealth Forest trees

In total, 2,022 acres of forest are to be planted across the West Midlands

Author: Rory GannonPublished 3rd Mar 2022
Last updated 5th Jul 2022

The first trees of a massive plantation of forestry have been grounded in Solihull as the region gears up for the Commonwealth Games.

As part of the legacy of the Games, which are due to take place in Birmingham later this year, an ambitious plan to plant 2,022 acres of trees has been launched.

In addition to the Commonwealth Forest, there are also proposals to create 72 so-called 'Tiny Forests', spanning the area of a tennis court across the West Midlands.

To add to the pride of the local area, all of the trees being planned will be native to the UK to highlight the resilience of nature against climate change.

In total, 15 acres - with roughly 9,400 trees were planted on Thursday (March 3rd) at Hope Coppice, with the help of Solihull Council.

Representatives from the Birmingham 2022 organising committee and the local Severn Trent water treatment company attended and got their hands dirty by helping to root some of the thousands of trees in the area.

As well as this, table tennis star Anna Hursey, aged only 15, was also in attendance as an ambassador for the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.

The public will be able to get a look at the forestation effort across the region until the end of the initiative, as the region pushes for a greener future.

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