More than 50,000 trees planted in Swindon since 2020

At the end of the current tree planting season, more than 50,000 trees will have been planted across Swindon.

Through the Trees for Climate programme and working with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust on the Great Western Community Forest and Swindon Forest Meadows schemes, tree planting has taken place in a number of the town’s landmark parks and open spaces.

The 55 hectares of new woodland includes locations such as Mouldon Hill, Coate Water and Stanton Park and has contributed to the Council’s mission of building a greener Swindon.

When fully grown, each hectare of new tree planting will annually capture and store around 295 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main greenhouse gases causing climate change.

As well as locking up carbon, trees help to improve soil quality and mitigate soil erosion, while they also reduce pollution and flooding with more than 30 per cent of the new trees being planted in areas that support natural flood management.

Tree planting throughout the years has taken place thanks to the support of volunteers with a number of events being hosted and supported by local businesses, parish councils and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

There are still opportunities for residents to get involved in tree planting this year with a variety of events taking place next month.

These include:

• Tuesday, 4 February, 10am – Grace Walk, Haydon Wick
• Friday, 14 February, 10am – Raybrook Meadow, Rodbourne
• Tuesday, 18 February, 10am – Shaw Forest
• Friday, 21 February, 10am – Heaton Close open space, Haydon Wick

All sessions are run by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. No booking is required and anyone interested just needs to arrive at the location with suitable clothing, footwear and a packed lunch.

Councillor Emma Bushell, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for the Build a Greener Swindon mission, said: “It’s amazing to see how many trees we’ve been adding to the Borough and great to see this work continuing as part of our Swindon Plan mission to build a greener Swindon.

“We’re determined to enhance the Borough’s green spaces and planting trees is just one way we can make sure the environment and air quality is improved for local people in Swindon.

“The work carried out by our officers and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust sometimes goes under the radar and, without them, we wouldn’t be able to improve our parks and open spaces.

“If you’re interested in getting involved, please go along to one of the events, or check out the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s website to see how else you could take part.

“The Trust offers a number of volunteering opportunities that not only improve the natural environment but can also bring a number of health benefits.”

Residents are encouraged to keep an eye on the Council’s social media channels for further upcoming tree planting activities in their local area. To find out more about how the Council is achieving its Build a Greener Swindon mission visit the website.