A time to plant

Summer ebbs away, the evenings begin to draw in and it won’t be long before the clocks change. And so the tree planting season gets under way.

At this time of year, everywhere you look there are seeds. The apples shaken from the tree through a windy night now lying in the dewy grass. Acorns around the oak tree still sitting proudly in their cups. And shiny conkers winking from their spiky green cases along the pavement.

Some people may not know that seeds like hawthorn and holly need to lie dormant in the earth through a winter or two before they then awaken and germinate. There are others that are more straightforward; many of the hazelnuts that the squirrel in our garden is frantically burying, will spring up at the edge of the lawn or a flowerbed next year.

We are excited that we have so many initiatives planned for the upcoming tree planting season. This season, we are going to support even more community tree planting projects across the UK - in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as in Ireland. If you know of a possible project, then we are still open to consider new projects, and we’d love to hear from you.

We are also about to launch Plantober - this is an opportunity during the month of October, for children and those who are young at heart, to gather local tree seeds and grow them at home or in their school.

We want to see more people discover the power of trees and play a part in increasing the number of trees in the UK.

In fact, tree cover in the UK is woefully low when compared with other countries in Europe. While woodland cover is gradually increasing (it stands at 13%), woodland wildlife is decreasing. This is partially because much of that cover is in the form of single species conifer plantations. Do join in if you can.

Garden Tree Giveaway

And in Oxfordshire, later this year, we will be running the Garden Tree Giveaway in partnership with Community Action Groups Oxfordshire, providing 3,000 trees to households across the county.

At the same time, as the rains come, tree planting is beginning in earnest in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania where we have bold plans to support more communities than ever to transform their landscapes.

As the evenings draw in, we’re eager to get out there and do even more to plant, protect and promote trees together with our friends and allies.

Plant trees to protect our forests

Your kind gift today will help plant trees that protect our natural habitats and ecosystems.