Emergency? It calls for a tree!

Devon to get 16,500 new ones

More than 16,500 trees are to be planted in Devon this winter, many of them funded by an emergency tree fund.

It's the second year that Devon County Council has given away free packs of trees in the county, thanks to an emergency tree fund from the Woodland Trust.

It's for landowners, as well as town and parish councils, so they can plant trees to tackle the climate emergency.

A total of 150 free packs, each containing 45 native broadleaved whips, have been delivered to people who successfully applied through the scheme. It means 6,750 trees through the free tree scheme will be planted as part of this year’s National Tree Week.

Devon County Council is also ensuring that a further 9,820 trees are planted this season, with the majority of them on the county's farms estate. 

When added to last year’s figure of over 8,440 trees planted in Devon, which also supported The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, making the total of around 25,000 over two years.

Councillor Andrea Davis, cabinet member for climate change and environment, said: “We’ve had a really positive response from landowners across the county and it’s encouraging that so many of them are taking advantage of the emergency tree fund. Working with us and the Woodland Trust they’re playing their part in helping to reduce carbon emissions. It’s impressive to think that once we reach the end of this current planting season this initiative will have helped 25,000 trees to have been planted. That’s a great start and it highlights the impact this scheme is having.”