The Big Tree Plant
What is it?
The Big Tree Plant is a national tree planting campaign led by a partnership of civil society partners and conservation organisations such as The Tree Council and Woodland Trust, working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Forestry Commission.
Streets and public areas can be transformed by trees. They can soften the hard edges of an urban environment and bring a bit of nature into the heart of a city. Planting and caring for trees offers many other benefits – by joining in, you can help to improve your area while meeting new people, and getting some exercise. Planting a tree attracts wildlife, creates an interesting feature, provides shade and can protect a house from the weather. It could even increase the value of a property.
How can I get involved?
Through the campaign we aim to plant one million trees in England’s towns, cities and residential areas by April 2015. We need your help to reach this target!
Here’s how you can get involved:
- Plant a tree – you could plant a tree yourself or join a local tree planting event.
- Look after a tree – trees need lots of care to help them grow to maturity. You could do your bit by watering trees in your area or organising a local tree care group.
- Join or start a tree planting group – help start a tree project in your area, or join an existing one, to make your street or neighbourhood greener.
You might be able to get some funding to help you plant more trees. The Big Tree Plant website has information about the grants that are available for different types of tree-planting groups. This includes The Big Tree Plant funding scheme, which provides £4.2m of funding from April 2011 for community and civic groups, or other non-profit organisations, to establish community-led tree planting projects in areas that would benefit most.
Where can I find out more?
- Visit The Big Tree Plant website to find lots of ideas and advice to get you started with tree-planting, including information about how to start your own tree-planting group.
- The Tree Council’s website has details of existing tree-planting groups and events you could join. You can also find out about events in your local area and the Tree Warden network in your area.