Posted on Tuesday 14th February 2023
Staffordshire County Council Countryside Officer, Iain Turbin
People in Staffordshire are being invited to collect a free tree to plant in their garden in efforts to make Staffordshire even greener.
Staffordshire County Council is making 5,000 free trees available for residents to plant in their gardens at home.
The trees, a mix of rowan, hazel, wild cherry and crab apple will be available to pick up from the following country parks on Thursday 23 February, between 11am and 3pm.
- Chasewater
- Apedale
- Deep Hayes
- Greenway Bank
Simon Tagg, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change said:
“This is a fantastic project that will help get more trees planted in people’s gardens and help make Staffordshire sustainable.
“Small actions when combined can have a big impact. We know that there are huge environmental benefits from having more trees. And we know, in planting more trees, we’ll help create greener communities here in Staffordshire and help us all breathe cleaner air.”
The project is part of a wider campaign by the county council to tackle climate change and reduce the county’s carbon footprint. Since declaring a climate change emergency in 2019, the authority has reduced their carbon emissions by 43%.
Park rangers will be providing advice to people on how and where to plant the trees for best results. Trees will be given on a first come, first served basis and one tree per household will be allocated. Residents are also advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Information on other ways to make gardens at home sustainable and how to tackle climate change and help wildlife is available at https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/DoingOurBit/Get-Inspired/Clean-green-and-safe/Green-up-your-garden.aspx