MORE THAN 40,000 trees have been planted across Wokingham in the past 18 months, as the council seeks to tackle the climate emergency.
Of those trees, 4,332 were given to 1,492 residents as part of a scheme that offered free saplings, thanks to a £300,000 contribution from the Woodland Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund.
The rest of the planting was on sites owned by private landowners (about 10,000 trees) and civic organisations like schools and parish councils as well as the borough council (about 26,000). It was carried out in partnership with volunteers, including community groups or Friends’ associations.
It is estimated that 6,036 tonnes of carbon emissions have been offset through the trees, orchards and hedgerows.
Cllr Ian Shenton, executive member for environment, sport and leisure at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “I want to thank everyone who helped us reach this milestone, from those within the council to the wider community.
“Trees provide a solid foundation for a huge range of benefits, from cleaning the air and fighting the climate emergency to making their surroundings more pleasant and giving wildlife a home.
“Increasing tree cover is key to our borough’s long-term vitality and improving the environment, and they have a positive effect on the landscape as soon as they are planted. There’s plenty more to achieve but we’ll get there, and we can’t wait to start the next stage”.
Now the council is looking for sites large than five hectares, including a covid memorial wood in Rooks Nest Farm. It will also publish a Tree Strategy.
