Greenslate Farm is a recently established community farm based in Billinge to the west of Wigan. The farm has about 30 acres of land of which half is for arable, buildings and allotments and the rest is a mixture of meadow and woodland. The woodland is the result of self-seeding and consists almost totally of goat willow which is so dense in places that there is little biodiversity or habitat for wildlife.
In celebration of National Tree Week 65,000 trees will be planted in community projects in the UK and Africa over the next twelve months.
We are introducing a new partner and project in this newsletter, Masaka and District Landcare Chapter (MADLACC). MADLACC have been working on the “Promotion of agro forestry for poverty reduction and improved livelihoods” project involving over 500 farming households in the community.
We return to the Trees 4 Livelihoods programme in Mali. In the last edition we featured the work of this Big Lottery Fund project on sustainable land practices and we now turn our attention to how developing alternative livelihoods is reducing pressures on the forest and reducing poverty levels in the community.
Catriona Baker passed way aged 97 years, last Wednesday morning, 12th November 2014. ITF trustees and staff would like to send their sincere condolences to her family and friends.
Our 90th Anniversary appeal has reached over £20,000 boosted by two recent donations from our patron HRH Prince of Wales’ Charitable Trust and the Henry C Hoare Charitable Trust.
Thank you to all of you who have donated.
ITF’s Trees journal is now available to download here, packed with interesting features and articles including Greenpeace Africa on challenging corporate deforestation; a return to Ethiopia to look how ITF tree nurseries are helping to restore the Wof Washa Forest and an investigation into how farmers are working on the front line to reverse desertification.
