AN initiative to grow 50,000 native broadleaf trees by 2026 received an enthusiastic response when it was unveiled to residents in Barnard Castle.
Volunteers with charity Living Woods, which is dedicated to the creation and sustainable management of woodland by encouraging local communities to plant and care for woodlands, had no shortage of takers signing up to for their Seeds2Trees campaign when they took a pitch at the weekly market.
Teesdale resident and ambassador with Seeds2Trees Andrea Hobbs said: “We are really trying to raise awareness in Teesdale about the project and to see if we can have our own local hub for growing.
“I volunteered for the programme after I spotted Living Woods online.
“I love to grow things but I don’t have the room to plant trees in my garden. With Seeds2Trees I get to go on the journey and know that the 100 trees I grow will be planted in the appropriate places.
“It’s great because I get to nurture the trees and Living Woods will plant the trees for us across the north east.”
Mark Shipperlee, from Living Woods, said: “The Seeds2Trees initiative started last autumn.
“Initially, we started with 100 volunteers growing trees and we have upped that number this year.
“We are going to increase the number of volunteer growers by 100 each year.
“Each year volunteer growers will be supplied with seeds and growing kits free of charge in November. Growers can then sow the seeds, nurture them, transplant them over a two-year period before the saplings are collected.”
He added: “The trees are usually for woodland creation or restocking areas that have been hit by storm damage or forests that non-native trees have been removed from.
“Our focus has three areas: encouraging people to connect with woodlands, helping people connect with woodlands and helping to grow them as well.”
For more information about the Seeds2Trees initiative visit www.living-woods.org.uk.
