All posts by Dennis Henson

 MyTreeOurForest

First trees set to be collected in Wales as part of ambitious give-away to fight climate change

Blaen Bran Community Woodland is getting behind a new initiative which will give every household in Wales the chance to plant their own tree, as part of an ambitious Welsh Government project to fight climate change.

Blaen Bran Community Woodland is one of the first five regional hubs opened as part of a pilot that will see the release of the first 5,000 trees to local households.

It follows a promise made by Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters in December that every household in Wales would be offered a free tree.

Welsh Government has teamed up with Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales to deliver the My Tree, Our Forest project.

Available from Blaen Bran Community Woodland Group (Upper Cwmbran, Cwmbran NP44 5AQ), the hub will be open for people to collect their tree every Tuesday, Thursday and some Saturdays until 31st March, from 10am-1pm. 

Every household that collects a tree will be provided with a tag that tells them how to effectively plant their tree and a link to a page on care and advice for their survival for the next few years.

Native tree species including crab apple, wild cherry, sessile oak, alder or downy birch will be provided as small tree saplings of around 20-40cm which will grow into small-medium sized trees, suitable for gardens and smaller spaces.

In autumn, and to coincide with the next tree planting season, the scheme will be extended to release more than 200,000 trees from 25 regional hubs across Wales.

Speaking ahead of the regional hubs opening, Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters said: “It is great to kick off the start of this project that will be part of our commitment to reach net zero by 2050.

“Trees are amazing – they save lives by keeping our air clean, they improve people’s physical and mental health, they are essential for tackling our nature emergency, improving biodiversity and, of course, in tackling climate change.

“It is already clear to see that this project will help people further understand and experience the many benefits that trees can provide, not only to the environment but also to health and wellbeing.

“I would like to thank all involved at Coed Cadw for partnering with us to deliver this project and I look forward to seeing it extended later in the year.”

Natalie Buttriss, Director of Coed Cadw said “This project is a great example of how ‘the will’ to do something, becomes ‘the way’ in a short space of time.

“We know from our experience of tree planting projects how much people care about the tree they are planting, and how this can inspire the whole family and their network of friends.

“It’s great to also have on board our community partner, Llais Y Goedwig, who have helped us to set up the tree hubs that will be central to this project.”

To find out more about the first phase of the project and to make sure you’re first to know about the next collection, visit gov.wales/national-forest.

Volunteers will advise on the best tree for households to collect but the species available will include Tree species per hub: crab apple, wild cherry, sessile oak, alder and downy birch.

St David’s Rc school visit

The children very much enjoyed all aspects of your well planned day and believe that they were doing something to help, something authentic in their own small way, in caring for the woodland and the planet. Days like these help our children to see the positive steps that they can take on their journey to becoming valuable members of their own communities in later life, one of the goals of the new Curriculum for Wales. 

Pupil voice – nearly half of the class were blown away by the mushroom walk around Parson’s Wood and the knowledge about each species was incredible! The talk about the various species of trees and the Woodwide Web sparked many questions on return to school.

Just over a quarter of children again loved the therapeutic activity of bracken bashing and the rest loved the planting of the willow and having a go at the weaving and the creation of their own natural art pictures.

BLAEN BRAN COMMUNITY WOODLAND AWARDED Green Flag COmmunity Award 2021 / 2022

Celebrating Wales’ amazing green spaces

248 parks and green spaces in Wales have received the prestigious Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award. They include a diverse range of sites, from country parks and formal gardens, to allotments, woodlands and churchyards. 

Now in its third decade, the international Green Flag Award is a sign to the public that a park or green space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities. 

In Torfaen – Blaen Bran Community Woodland along with Llanfrechfa Grange Walled Garden and Henllys LNR have been awarded Green Flag Community Awards.

Now in its third decade, the international Green Flag Award is a sign to the public that a park or green space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. Independent green space experts volunteered their time in early autumn to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management and community involvement.

Spring Clean Cymru – Spring CLEAN BLAEN BRAN

Spring Clean Up at Blaen Bran!

Sunday 13th June at 10.00am.  Caru Cymru!!

As part of the annual Torfaen CBC and Keep Wales Tidy Spring campaign to clean up our communities, we will be running our own litter pick event at the woodland next Sunday morning.

Meeting at the log circle for a 10.00 am start, we will have litter grabbers and bags available to volunteers who will be rewarded with a cuppa on their return to the cabin.

Keep an eye on the weather and wear suitable clothes/footwear. Social distancing and COVID awareness measures apply at collection/drop off.

 Come along and help make a difference!

BLAEN BRAN COMMUNITY WOODLAND AWARDED Green Flag COmmunity Award 2020 / 2021

Celebrating amazing green spaces

224 parks and green spaces in Wales have received the prestigious Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award. They include a diverse range of sites, from country parks and formal gardens, to allotments, woodlands and churchyards.

In Torfaen – Blaen Bran Community Woodland along with Llanfrechfa Grange Walled Garden and Henllys LNR have been awarded Green Flag Community Awards.

Now in its third decade, the international Green Flag Award is a sign to the public that a park or green space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. Independent green space experts volunteered their time in early autumn to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management and community involvement.