Date issued: 27 November 2020
Colchester Borough Council and Colchester Borough Homes will be marking National Tree Week (28 November – 6 December), the UK’s largest annual tree celebration, by planting 145 standard trees across the borough as part of the Colchester Woodland and Biodiversity Project.
This will kick-off planting activity for the second year of the Colchester Woodland and Biodiversity Project. Launched by Colchester Borough Council in 2019, the project strives to make the borough greener through tree planting, managing green spaces without harming existing habitats, enhancing environments to create more space for nature to grow and thrive, and by encouraging communities to love and care for the environment.
Further tree planting this year will include a Mayoral Woodland at Riverside Walk, and planting at High Woods Country Park and Cymbeline Meadows, in addition to nine public planting events that will be open for residents and visitors to come along and help plant. To ensure they can safely hold planting events and comply with social distancing rules, the council will require anyone wanting to come along and help plant to register and book a time slot online. The dates and booking form will be live on the council website soon.
Colchester Borough Homes will be planting trees across communities where council tenants live. This includes Stanley Wooster Way, Miranda Walk, Roosevelt Way and Queen Mary Avenue. Once planted, tenants will be encouraged to take further pride in the outdoor space their community offers and understand the importance of trees in our landscapes, as well as the benefits they provide to the environment and people’s wellbeing.
This year, the council has already reduced its grass-cutting regime in areas across the borough to help wild-flowers and insect life, including butterflies and bees, committed to the reduction of glyphosate-based weed killer and encouraged residents and organisations to take part in seed-gathering activity and grow their own trees for the future.
Cllr David King, Portfolio Holder for Businesses and Resources, said: “Trees and woodlands are a vital part of our eco-system. We are committed to preserving them, helping them to flourish and planting thousands more each year.
“The Colchester Woodland and Biodiversity Project is a fundamental part of our pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030, and we are delighted to join forces with Colchester Borough Homes to mark National Tree Week by planting 145 trees across the borough. Together we can all make our borough even greener, and we will help our community to know, love and use our green spaces.”
Colchester Borough Homes Chief Executive, Gareth Mitchell, added: “It’s great to be working in partnership with the Council to increase the number of trees across the borough.
“We’re committed to supporting the council to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and we’ll be delivering further projects to improve energy efficiency in council homes and to help tenants reduce their fuel costs.”
To keep up to date with the project visit: www.colchester.gov.uk/better-colchester/colchesterwoodlandproject
Page last reviewed: 27 November 2020