National Tree Week sees woodland creation project launched in the North Pennines

Landowners, farmers and smallholders are being offered a package of support to increase the tree coverage in parts of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

To coincide with National Tree Week (28 November to 6 December), the North Pennines AONB Partnership has launched a tree and woodland support service and is looking to contact landowners, farmers and smallholders who are interested in tree planting and woodland creation. Planting trees and creating new woodlands has many benefits, including storing carbon, mitigating flooding, enriching biodiversity, and providing shelter for livestock and habitat for wildlife. The AONB Partnership can offer woodland surveys, bespoke advice, and access to sources of finance, as well as providing support for improving the management of existing woods.

Ben Scotting, Trees and Woodland Officer at the AONB Partnership, said: “We can support people to explore options for new tree planting, looking at the best locations for planting, the ideal mix of species and identify potential future benefits to the farming business and the environment.

“We know that busy land managers and farmers are looking for the best ways to introduce more planting on their land and to better manage the woodlands they already have. We can provide that support, and help to increase the amount of woodland we have, right across the AONB. This will have enormous benefits for the landscape and wider environment.”

The service is available in the County Durham and Northumberland areas of the North Pennines AONB. There is also an opportunity for those outside the AONB to be involved Work can be carried out in a defined area of County Durham beyond the boundary, centred on the A68 corridor. The work is funded by Durham County Council, the Woodland Trust and Northumbrian Water Ltd.

To find out more, please contact Ben Scotting, Woodland Officer at the North Pennines AONB Partnership, at ben@northpenninesaonb.org.uk  or 07920 577284.