Peatland restoration in the South West has been scaled up hugely over the past 5 years. Working in partnership has enabled holistic monitoring, palaeoecological research, planning and implementing larger and more complex...
James Richards
The team at Forest for Cornwall are celebrating an incredible five years of the project. So far over 1.6 million trees have been planted in 971 projects across Cornwall, with...
The team at Forest for Cornwall are celebrating an incredible five years of the project. So far over 1.6 million trees have been planted in 971 projects across Cornwall, with many more projects in the pipeline for this winter. A huge heartfelt thank you to all of you – the residents, farmers, landholders, communities and organisations that have got involved so far, and to all those to come!
If you’ve not heard of Forest for Cornwall (F4C) before we are a dedicated team working with the aim to plant trees across Cornwall in all kinds of locations. This includes your local parks, schools, streets, private gardens, hedgerows, orchards, and also on farms in unused field corners, and by adding another crop to current production in the form of orchard fruits, timber or as shelter or fodder for livestock.
Trees provide all sorts of benefits to you and to where you live. Evidence shows that just seeing trees, and even better being amongst trees can stabilise blood pressure, reduce stress levels, help your immune system, and bring a sense of calm. Trees are not a luxury when we need them for our health!
Not only are they good for us, they also provide natural ‘air conditioning’ in our towns, reduce noise from traffic, provide shade in the hotter summers we are experiencing and shelter from heavier rainfall and higher winds. And to top it all they bring colourful blossom, fruit, and homes for birds, insects and animals.
If you’d like to discover more about Forest for Cornwall have a look at our webpages: www.cornwall.gov.uk/forestforcornwall where you can also get in contact and sign up for our newsletter.
How you can take part:
Are you a farmer or landholder in the River Fal catchment area? Why not join in the Fal Rivers to Reef project which is seeking to restore 18,000 hectares around the Fal River for farming, nature and communities. This will include the creation of new ponds, hedgerows, orchards and more trees on farms. We are also helping to form a farm ‘cluster’ to ensure those involved benefit as much as possible from the scheme. If you’d like to know more please email falfarming@cornwall.gov.uk .
Love Where You Are brings you four nature projects in the Newquay area. From beach cleans to distributing free trees, the projects are designed to enhance nature for the local community. Your donation, big or small, could make a real difference. F4C are behind two of the projects, each offering exciting rewards you can enjoy:
Head to: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/lovewhereyouare to get involved!
If you know of a community group, business or organisation whose work needs celebrating why not nominate them and their project for the Cornwall Sustainability Awards. There are a number of categories including our own Trees for Nature & Growth and two new categories: Nature Friendly Farming and Sustainable Food or Drink. You can also make an application yourself – find out more and nominate or apply at www.cornwallsustainabilityawards.org
The Forest for Cornwall will help contribute towards the delivery of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Strategy, a new plan to help guide what, where and how to restore nature across the region.
Meur ras – Thank you all again for your support in helping to make the Forest for Cornwall grow!
This article was written by Sorcha Hitchcox, Cornwall Council’s Forest for Cornwall team. The article was shared in The Cornishman, Cornish Guardian and West Briton
