20,000 new trees have been planted and a new tree nursery has been established in Cardiff, thanks in part to a funding boost from Coed Cadw, The Woodland Trust in Wales.
The charity’s Emergency Tree Fund was set up to encourage local authorities to make trees a central part of their policies, and boost tree cover to tackle climate change.
Last year, Cardiff Council received a grant of £228,862 from the fund, which has contributed towards its Coed Caerdydd project; part of the council’s ‘One Planet Cardiff’ response to the climate emergency.
A season of planting has since seen hundreds of volunteers work with the council to create new community orchards, plant new hedgerows, and distribute hundreds of trees to households, community groups and schools.
In particular, the fund has also accelerated the creation of a brand-new tree nursery at Forest Farm in north Cardiff, which will help to secure a healthy stock of native trees for future generations to come.
Natalie Buttriss, Director of Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales said, “We are really pleased to see the impact that our Emergency Tree Fund is making in Cardiff, especially with getting the new tree nursery established. This healthy stock of native trees will ensure that future planting is focussed on putting the right trees in the right places, something which will be critically important to maximise both the environmental and social impacts.”
Coed Caerdydd Volunteer Coordinator, Chloe Jenkins explained that establishing the tree nursery means that Cardiff Council will be able to build up a diverse mix of species suitable for different planting needs across the city.
She said, “We’re getting everything from hedgerow species, to large-stock species like Oak, along with wet woodland species like Elder and Willow, and fruit and nut trees which will eventually go on to be planted in new community orchards.”
Among the aims of Coed Cadw’s Emergency Tree Fund are to boost green spaces for health; plant trees to soak up harmful carbon and combat pollution; and create detailed strategies to meet carbon zero targets. In total, up to £2.9 million is being distributed to councils across the UK, forming a key part of The Woodland Trust’s ambitious aim to plant 50 million trees by 2025.
Nic Hutchinson, Conservation and Community Development Manager for Cardiff Council said: “By working closely with Coed Cadw, we have been able to access further funding and create completely new volunteer opportunities within our Coed Caerdydd project. For instance, we will now be working with our volunteers to identify ancient trees across the city which may be able to provide seeds for our tree nursery – helping us to maintain the local provenance of Cardiff’s tree stock.”
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events Cllr Jennifer Burke-Davies said: “We’ve set an ambitious target of increasing tree canopy coverage in Cardiff to 25% by 2030 and with 20,000 new trees in the ground during the last planting season, we’re off to a good start – but it’s more than just a numbers game, and the tree nursery established with the support of Coed Cadw is going to be integral to ensuring the trees we plant are as resilient, disease-free, and adaptable to our rapidly changing climate as possible.”
