Grab a spade to help woodland charity plant largest community woodland

The Woodland Trust in Wales are calling for communities to help plant a new native woodland in its industrial heartland.

On 4 December 2021, The Woodland Trust; or Coed Cadw as it’s known in Wales; will host a community tree-planting event at Brynau in Neath, with the aim of creating the largest ever native woodland to be undertaken by the charity. 

The Community Tree-planting day will follow National Tree week, whereby school children from across South Wales will have already started planting this new woodland with their classmates. 

Sophie Thomas, Engagement Officer for Coed Cadw said that the event was “a great way to work together to combat climate change and the nature crisis”.

“We know that many people in Wales are worried about the environmental challenges we’re currently facing and are looking for ways to make a difference”, she said.

“By helping us plant a new native woodland at Brynau, we can all do our bit to combat the climate and nature crisis, whilst providing a tranquil retreat for the community at the same time”. 

Miss Thomas continued, “Planting and protecting woods and trees is essential. Trees are a natural way to help combat the climate emergency– we just need more of them”. 

Earlier this month, the world was focused on the outcomes of COP26 which showed that Wales is at risk of failing to meet its carbon net zero ambitions unless woodland is created and restored and the state of trees, woods and hedges is improved. 

Brynau wood was secured for the future thanks to public response to an urgent appeal; once completed, new woodland added to the site will be the size of some 100 rugby pitches. Brynau is also designated Plant! site, meaning there is a tree planted for every child born or adopted in Wales as part of a scheme introduced by the Welsh Government. 

In 2021, The Woodland Trust’s State of the UK’s Woods and Trees report highlighted some stark warnings on the health of the UK’s trees and woods.

It found ancient woodland is rare in Wales, covering only 4.5% of the land surface. The ancient woods of Wales also include Celtic rainforest, an ecosystem of national and international importance as a home to rare plants and wildlife.

Since 1999 Coed Cadw has recorded a total of 584 ancient woodlands potentially threatened by development in Wales. Of those 584 cases, 337 have been saved, 98 have been lost or damaged, and 149 are currently under threat.

Only 2% of non-native woodland in Wales is in good ecological condition, and only 9% of native woodland. Those in poor ecological condition are characterised by low levels of deadwood, low diversity of age and species, and few open woodland habitats.

Two thirds of the woods in Special Areas of Conservation in Wales are in unfavourable condition.

Between 2006 to 2013 some 7,000 large trees were lost. Between 2009 and 2013, 159 out of our 220 towns showed an overall decline in tree cover.

In Wales, a quarter of all hedgerows were removed between 1984 and 1990, and 78% of remaining Welsh hedgerows are in an ‘unfavourable condition’.

Just over 99% of all woods in Wales exceed nitrogen pollution levels. This has damaging effects for woodland plants and wildlife.

(Lead image: Coed Cadw)