Community volunteers plant over 20,000 trees in 11 days
After five fabulous weekends of planting trees and hedgerows, the 2021-2022 planting season has come to a close. Now that we’ve hung up our spades and washed the mud off our boots, it’s time to stop and take a look at what we’ve all achieved.
What a season it’s been!
Here’s a quick look at the numbers:
| undefined | Location | No. of volunteers | Metres of hedgerow planted | No. of trees planted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November, 27th-28th | Eltisley, Cambridgeshire | 37 | 550 | 3,000 |
| December, 11th-12th | Chester, Cheshire | 60 | 800 | 4,000 |
| January, 29th-30th | Basingstoke, Hampshire | 114 | 670 | 3,500 |
| February, 12th-13th | Dorking, Surrey | 60 | 830 | 4,150 |
| February, 26th-27th | Dorking, Surrey | 100 | 1000 | 5,000 |
| March, 12th | Bridgnorth, Shropshire | 80 | 130 | 660 |
| Totals: | 451 | 3,980 | 20,310 |
So that’s 451 volunteers, planting over 20,000 trees (including almost 4km hedgerow) in just 11 planting days!
Looks great, but why did we do it?
Thanks to their ability to draw carbon out of the atmosphere, trees and hedgerows are our ally in the fight against climate change. The government’s planting rates are nowhere near good enough - climate advisors say we need to triple our tree planting efforts by 2030 to meet climate targets. Beyond carbon sequestration, by planting native trees and hedgerows, we can build biodiversity in our communities, towns and urban green spaces, enabling wildlife species to thrive.
But planting trees isn’t just about planting trees - it can bring people together and can inspire more people to take practical action on the climate crisis in their communities.
We’ve found time and time again that tree planting is a great way for people who don’t consider themselves climate people. It’s an enjoyable activity which is both physical and social, where you make a visible difference to your local area. Planting volunteers have told us these events help tackle a sense of climate dread, and provide the hope they need to take action.
We were delighted to see just how many of our volunteers were new to climate action - coming along after seeing something posted in a local Facebook group or a group chat on WhatsApp. And they loved it; 86% of our volunteers reported their experience as ‘excellent’ (and everyone else chose ‘very good’). The more people we introduce to the joys of practical action on climate change, the faster we can bring about a zero carbon UK.
What’s more, as we planted, we found that conversations easily found themselves considering climate action, and stepping into further areas of action (from ways we can reduce consumerism, to how heat pumps and insulation can save carbon emissions as well as energy bills). This suggests the further impact of the events - these planting days went far beyond the number of trees we put on the ground.
So what’s next?
From now until November, it will be too warm to plant trees as it is their growing time, so we won’t be running any more planting events until then. In the meantime, there are a few things we can all do to support tree planting efforts and make sure the next season is more ambitious than ever - how about 40,000 trees?
Prepare for the planting season by making a plan for your community
We have a step-by-step guide on getting more trees in your neighbourhood, from mapping suitable locations, getting permission from landowners, to choosing the perfect species. Click the button below to download your free copy, and don’t forget to let us know how you’re getting on and how we can support you.
2. Join our list of planting volunteers
By registering interest in being a planting volunteer, you’ll help us work out where to plant next season, and make sure we’re able to recruit planters quickly so that we can get to work as the time comes.
3. Become a Changemaker
By donating just £2.50 a month, you can ensure we can continue to ramp up our efforts, and inspire more people, in more parts of the country, to take practical action to tackle the climate crisis.
