A QUARTER of a million trees are set to be planted across the Wokingham borough, following a cash grant from the Woodland Trust.
The trust donated £300,000 to the Wokingham Borough Council earlier last week, allowing for the council to plant 250,000 trees.
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Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for resident services, communications and emissions at Wokingham Borough Council said: “As part of our goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, we committed to planting 250,000 trees over the next five years and this funding from the Woodland Trust is fantastic news for Wokingham borough.
“To get such a large financial contribution not only helps kickstart our tree planting programme but shows that the Woodland Trust thinks we are doing the right thing and has faith in our future tree maintenance as well.
"We welcome the invaluable advice and support from such a well-informed charity on the wide range of benefits that trees and woods can deliver over the next few years in relation to health, climate change, amenity and water management.”
An old tree in Earley, Wokingham borough
The funding comes as a part of the Woodland Trust's campaign to plant 50 million trees across the UK by 2025, in a bid to tackle the ongoing climate crisis.
John Tucker, the Woodland Trust’s director of woodland outreach said: “The Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund has the power to inspire tree planting and woodland creation and galvanise the need to treasure trees and green spaces in neighbourhoods across the UK.
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“What the country’s fight against covid has shown is how communities have come together in a time of crisis.
"As the pandemic hopefully abates, getting outside and planting, maintaining and enjoying trees will be a way for this spirit to be harnessed once again in a different but a very important way - to tackle the climate and nature crises which also affects us all."
For more information, visit wokingham.gov.uk/council-and-meetings/open-data/climate-emergency/.
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