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.
