“And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin
And the forests will echo with laughter.”
It’s difficult to imagine when strolling through Box Woods, or when gazing across the common in any direction, that we desperately need to plant more trees.
But we do.
Year on year, we lose more trees than we plant, while carbon emissions continue to rise. Ash dieback has been a particular problem in the past couple of years, the many gaps we see now where woods used to be are heart-breaking, and Gloucestershire Highways reckon they’ll have to fell around 30,000 trees just because of the risk to our roads alone. Many thousands more Gloucestershire ash will fall or be felled on public and private land before the disease has run its course.
Forest cover is a vital part of carbon cutting, and it’s essential we make back the numbers to stand a chance of reaching carbon zero by 2030.
We need your help
There are several ways you can help us plant more trees in the area.
Landowners
Do you have space for trees? We’re looking for landowners with space for as few as several trees, and who are able to ensure they are well-maintained (or willing to allow access to tree maintenance volunteers).
Tree planting volunteers
Are you willing to take some time out to dig a hole? Have you a group who’d join you? We’d love to hear from you.
Tree maintenance volunteers
Newly-planted trees take several weeks to establish and need regular care and watering during that time. They also need annual pruning and to be checked regularly. Can you imagine yourself caring for a tree? Get in touch!
Sign up to help with our tree planting project
