SOMERSET landowners, or those with control of a patch of land, are being encouraged to come forward for support in planting small woods, copses, hedgerows and more.
County group, Reimagining the Levels (RtL), is in the midst of another hectic planting season – and wants people to come forward to boost Somerset’s green spaces.
Since RtL joined forces with the Somerset Rivers Authority, Green Scythe Fair, Carbon Aware Productions and the Woodland Trust, it has helped plant more than 120,000 new trees and shrubs.
“These are now growing into small woods, some joining up with existing woodland, others entirely new,” a spokesperson said.
“Plus copses, leafy avenues, agroforestry sites, orchard replacements and miles and miles of hedgerows. No wonder we are incredibly proud.”
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Somerset is the most tree-depleted county in the UK, which is the most tree-depleted country in Europe.
RtL is hoping to change that, and at the same time help with flood prevention, increase soil stability and fertility, filter out pollutants in the water courses, support insects, mammals and birds, provide food, shelter and beauty for all.
“We want to do more,” the spokesperson went on. “We have a tree nursery bursting with almost 50 varieties of trees and shrubs waiting to go into ground near you.
“If you have a patch of land, or know someone who does, please get in touch. We can visit and offer advice on where, what and how to plant.
“We can help with obtaining a grant for flood prevention if applicable and we also have funds available for community groups or other landscapes that would clearly benefit from planting.
“We make the whole process easy and painless with our expertise and know how.”
People can find out more about RtL online at www.reimaginingthelevels.org.uk, by email to Kate Towers via katetowers.rtl@gmail.com, or on 07872 664543.
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We have land on Brent Knoll which we farm with native Red Devon cattle & have been trying to replenish the hedge rows & trees on the land! Have a large number of dead Elm trees to replace!
Hmm. While , ecologically, this might all have been well thought through, to have safeguards in place to ensure this results in ‘right tree, right place’, this article does not fill me with faith. For starters, I would argue that Somerset is not the most tree DEPLETED county, historically it would always have had little tree cover; the Levels and Moors are wetlands with naturally few trees and same is true of Exmoor bogs and moorland. The project is called ‘Re-imagining The Levels’. Much of the Somerset Levels are extremely important for wildfowl and waders; trees near where they breed cause loss of eggs and chicks due to predation from eg crows.
While increasing tree cover ‘can’ be an effective way of locking up carbon, the reverse is true on carbon rich soils which rely on being wet to prevent oxidation. Planting trees increases evapotranspiration, drying out the soils and actually cauuses net release of carbon to the atmosphere.
What safeguards are in place to prevent loss of species-rich grasslands? I note that neither the Somerset Wildlife Trust nor Natural England are partners in this project, both might be valuable sources of advice to ensure tree planting only happens in the right place.