Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire Wildlife Trusts have come together to lead Severn Treescapes. The project will create a wooded landscape at a scale never seen in the region before – a 60-mile corridor of trees, hedgerows and native woodland that will stretch from the Lower Wye Valley and Forest of Dean in the south to the Wyre Forest in the north, connecting both people and nature.
Local Wildlife Trusts team up to create 'super woodland' across three counties
Box Wood (c) Nathan Millar
Three neighbouring Wildlife Trusts launch a ground-breaking project to connect two of England’s largest native woodlands on the eve of National Tree Week.
Severn Treescapes launch (c) Billy Heaney
While this landscape already includes two of the country’s larger forests - the wider landscape has seen a continued reduction in tree coverage, now exacerbated by ash dieback disease and extreme weather events.
Farmland accounts for about 75% of the land use in this area and so the project aims to support farmers to explore innovative ways of increasing tree cover while maintaining productivity, as well as encouraging whole communities to understand the value of trees.
We’re so excited to get this project up and running. It will provide a fantastic opportunity for local communities, landowners and farmers to build a closer relationship with trees.
Trees and hedgerows can help to tackle the impacts of climate change - providing livestock with shade in the summer, fruit and nuts for birds and small mammals in the winter and increased water infiltration. What’s more, the wellbeing benefits of being in nature and around trees are well known and vital to our health and happiness.
Severn Treescapes will:
- Increase tree cover and encourage bigger, bushier hedgerows along a 60-mile corridor, creating more places for wildlife to thrive - from plants, fungi and invertebrates, to the recently reintroduced pine martens.
- Provide a team of on-the-ground advisors to support land managers, farmers and communities to access funding to plant and/or grow and manage trees and woodlands across this landscape.
- Engage 5,000 people by expanding the BBC Radio Gloucestershire Ourboretum tree growing initiative, encouraging local people to gather native, local tree seeds and grow saplings at home – eventually planting them back into their local area.
- Create more opportunities for people to connect with trees and the natural world. 12% of England’s population is within a 30-minute drive of the project area.
The launch of Severn Treescapes is part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, which marked the Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Severn Treescapes will continue as a legacy project for this nationwide tree planting celebration in honour of Her Majesty.
Notes to editors
Severn Treescapes: Wye to Wyre, connecting nature and people is a partnership project being led by Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Wildlife Trusts and funded by the Trees Call To Action fund. The fund was developed by Defra in partnership with the Forestry Commission and is being delivered by the Heritage Fund. Match funding provided by Gloucestershire County Council, Herefordshire County Council, Worcestershire County Council and Severn Trent. Additional support provided by the Environment Agency and Ourboretum.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust works closely with local communities, landowners and partners to deliver much-needed conservation work across more than 1000 hectares of nature reserves, and within the wider landscape of Gloucestershire. This vital work safeguards these remaining special wild places and drives nature’s recovery, working towards a future where the countryside thrives once more with wildlife, wildflowers, trees, butterflies, insects and animals
The charity also delivers a vast range of engagement activities and projects across the county, as well as providing free public access to its nature reserves, enabling people from all backgrounds to spend time outdoors and get closer to nature.
Herefordshire Wildlife Trust is the largest member-based nature conservation organisation in the county, with over 6,500 members, 500 volunteers and 60 nature reserves across Herefordshire. The Trust has 60 years’ experience of managing sites valuable to wildlife and people and runs a variety of projects and partnership initiatives from environmental education programmes to conservation projects to protect, restore and celebrate Herefordshire's landscapes and wildlife. The Trust is part of the federation of 46 Wildlife Trusts based across the British Isles. For more information visit www.herefordshirewt.org
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is the foremost organisation actively restoring and protecting wildlife and wild places in Worcestershire. The Trust owns and manages over 75 nature reserves throughout the county and works with local community members and other organisations to encourage a landscape for people and wildlife. It has over 22,000 members and around 400 volunteers who support the Trust by active involvement in its conservation, education, fundraising and administration work. www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk
Enovert is one of the UK's foremost waste management companies, providing safe and efficient disposal for a range of waste. With 9 operational landfill sites, 4 large scale landfill restoration schemes, two composting facilities and three waste transfer facilities Enovert manages more than 2.3 million tonnes of waste each year. Enovert's waste management facilities operate to the highest standards of safety and compliance, providing safe and efficient disposal of waste. Enovert holds accreditation to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001.
Enovert also produces renewable energy from landfill gas formed within the landfill sites as organic waste materials decompose. This methane rich gas is used to generate electricity, which is then fed into the National Grid, thereby supplying green energy from waste and contributing to the UK's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Enovert also supports local communities through the Government's Landfill Communities Fund by distributing money to community improvement schemes through the Enovert Community Trust.
The 350-acre Hempsted Landfill Site closed in July 2019 with part of the site continuing to be used to compost around 14,000 tonnes per annum of household garden waste from Gloucester City and Stroud District councils. Enovert is working on plans to develop a new energy park, which would comprise a range of renewable generation technologies including a solar farm, with the potential for wind and biomass generation in the future.