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1. More woodland in England in Northumberland

   Posted on 9:00pm Saturday 2nd Dec 2017

   So over 600,000 trees are to be planted at Doddington North Moor in Northumberland in the UK. The scheme will be the largest woodland creation scheme in England in the last 30 years.  The Forestry Commission gave it a thumbs up, and it expects it to generate jobs. The trees will include broadleaf and conifer trees and they should cover 350 hectares (i.e. the same space as 650 football pitches would take up). Environmentally, it should: Boost red squirrel numbers, currently estimated to be 140,000 (compared with 2.5 million grey squirrels) Store 120,000 tonnes of carbon Manage flood risks The scheme has been developed with the help of Government funding.  It will receie grants for planting.  Environment minister Therese Coffey said: "Our forests and woodlands are some of our most vital and cherished natural assets, and planting more trees is at the heart of our ambition to protect the environment for future generations. "Doddington North Moor will make a significant contribution to our drive to plant 11 million trees across the nation and is a fantastic example of the kind of tree-planting schemes we want to see more of. The Conservatives pledged to plant 11 million trees in five years, a pledge upheld in their 2015.  Unfortunately, what they propose to plant with one hand, they will destroy in the name of "progress" with the other - the HS2 railway being an example. The scheme is expected to begin in March 2018 and take two to three years to complete. Meantime in India, 66 million saplings were planted by volunteers in just 12 hours in a record-breaking environmental drive. School report?  England could and must do better.

    

2. The Tree Charter launches to build a future for trees and people to stand together

   Posted on 5:00pm Wednesday 1st Nov 2017

   The 6th November 2017 sees the 800th anniversary of the 1217 Charter of the Forest. King Henry III became king after King John died in 1216.   With the guidance of William Marshall (a famous Medieval knight), King Henry III put his seal to the Charter of the Forest in 1217. The charter complemented Magna Carta’s clauses with special reference to the forest of the land.  It re-established the rights of the people using them.  In 1225, minor adjustments were made and the Charter was issued in its definitive form. Two copies of the original 1217 Charter survive and one is in Lincoln – alongside the 1215 Magna Carta. 800 years later, on 6th November 2017, the Charter for Trees, Woods and People will be launched.   The Woodland Trust is leading it, with 70 organisations working to build a future in which people and trees stand stronger together.  The Charter believes the people of the UK have the right to the benefit brought by trees and woods and it will recognise, celebrate and protect this right. In the last year, 50,000 tree stories have been submitted and the themes from these have informed the principles which underpin the charter.    The Tree Charter Principles are (and I quote): Thriving habitats for diverse species Planting for the future Celebrating the cultural impact of trees A thriving forestry sector that delivers for the UK Better protection for important trees and woods Enhancing new developments with trees Understanding and using the natural health benefits of trees Access to trees for everyone Addressing threats to woods and trees through good management Strengthening landscapes with woods and trees We all need to stand up for trees because there are plenty of threats facing them, as the Tree Charter points out.   Amongst these are human development such as roads, railways and homes;  pollution, a lack of awareness of forest jobs in young people, big trees dying of old age but not being replaced, pests and diseases and lack of protection for ancient woodland in planning policy. Here's how you can join in: Give your support to this Tree Charter today – put your name to it and the Charter will plant a tree. Get involved in your local Tree Charter branch - or start one up! Go to events - or create your own! Visit its website and find out more

    

3. Trees for Life keep planting trees in Scotland :-)

   Posted on 9:00pm Tuesday 31st Oct 2017

   Today, I had an email from the amazing Trees for Life who are based in Scotland. Nine years ago, they bought an estate – the Dundreggan Conservation Estate.   And today’s news is that at the end of this autumn’s planting season, they will have planted 176,965 trees in the Allt Ruadh exclosure at our Dundreggan Conservation Estate.  This means, they say, that any day now, they will surpass 500,000 total trees planted on the estate since they bought it nine years ago. Their Rewilding the Highlands project proposes to deliver an inspiring example of rewilding in the UK.  It is significantly expanding and enhancing the native Caledonian forest habitats on the Dundreggan Conservation Estate, while helping others to begin their own forest restoration initiatives.  It wants to develop the area into one of Scotland’s finest native woodlands, full of wildlife, for generations to come.  Over 3,000 species have been discovered. This will enable opportunities for wildlife watching to grow, fantastic for anyone who loves the outdoors.  You can help by sponsoring an acre, becoming a friend of Dundreggan or even volunteering!  Find out more here

    

4. 546 acres of cloud forest saved thanks to Buy an Acre supporters

   Posted on 9:33am Friday 2nd Dec 2016

   Good news from the World Land Trust! Thanks to the supporters of the Buy an Acre scheme, 546 acres of cloud forest has been saved in Ecuador and Mexico.   The funds from the Buy an Acre Mexico donations were used to buiy two properties which extend the Cerro Prieto-Cerro la Luz reserve by over 350 acres.  The Lands for Conservation Chief at GESG, Roberto Pedraza Ruiz, says "there is not solid forest as far as the eye can see, and it is now a huge reserve".  A visit to the site 2 years ago had brought about the discovery that someone had been logging 40 year old cedars for timber. And Buy an Acre Ecuador purchased another two properties which extend the Nangaritz Reserve by just under 200 acres.  It protects a unique ecosystem where the Andes meets the Amazonian foothill forest.   A lot of this land has been degraded as a result of clearing land for grazing cattle, but now the land has become part of the estate, it will given the opportunity to regenerate to its former state.   ©World Land Trust   The area has amazing biodiversity, with animals such as the critically endangered Limon Harliquin Frog, the Orange Throated Tanger and mammals such as the jaguar, the spectacled bear, the mountain tapir and ocelot. So if you're looking for a Christmas gift for someone this year, why not visit the World Land Trust's Buy an Acre scheme and support it?  Let your gift help keep the planet green and amazing and protect habitat so wildlife have a home!  Visit the World Land Trust and make a difference today