City of trees

Three million people live in the Greater Manchester area and the charity City of Trees have an ambitious goal - to plant a tree for every one of them.

They believe that trees and woodland have an essential role to play in making sure towns and cities are prosperous, pleasant and healthy places to live, and that by restoring underused and unloved woodland in and around Manchester they can help connect people to nature.

One of the group’s key projects is Woodland Futures, where a team including volunteers and community groups aim to restore ancient woodlands around the town of Wythenshawe, south Manchester.

The project began in September 2018, and since then regular community events have included tree planting sessions, clearing paths, sowing wildflowers and making the woodlands a nicer place for both people and wildlife.

Andy Long, a woodlands officer from City of Trees explained: “The work the many hundreds of volunteers have done across the woodlands has made a huge impact.

“The woods are more accessible and welcoming to users and hundreds of wildflowers have been planted in additional to lots of bare areas sown with wildflower seed.

“Volunteers and local people have also tackled non-native invasive species, and in Sandilands Wood this has made a massive difference to the feel and appearance of the space as well as helping to make it more resilient for the future.”

City of Trees have also partnered with several community groups including schools, scouts and Back on Track, a local charity which helps people in the community who have experienced problems with their mental health, homelessness or drugs or alcohol to learn new skills. And the benefit to everyone involved has been huge.

Andy added: “The school and scout sessions have seen lots of young people making positive improvements to the local greenspace, and our sessions with Back on Track have helped spread wider the benefits of spending time and working in natural greenspaces.

“Throughout all the sessions, we talk about the natural heritage and history of the woodlands as well as explaining the importance of those woodlands today. “

Back on Track learners have also reported that the experience of working in the woodlands has led to big improvements in their mental health, confidence and building skills like teamwork.

City of Trees need volunteers to help on the ground with the Woodlands Future project and join in with their upcoming sessions, including tree planting and tidying up the woodland. No experience is necessary. They also need donations to help them towards their goal of planting three million trees in the Greater Manchester area.

Find out more at cityoftrees.org.uk/events or on social:

Facebook: facebook.com/cityoftreesmcr

Twitter: @CityofTreesMcr

By Jenna Sloan