Woodland in my Backyard Scheme Plants 2000 Trees

More than 2,000 trees have been planted in Leicestershire this year after communities and landowners said they wanted their own “WIMBYs”.

The WIMBY (Woodland in my Backyard) scheme, which has been funded by the County Council based Stepping Stones Project and The Woodland Trust, has seen areas amounting to the size of 3.5 football pitches planted in the project area since January.

This is the second year of WIMBY initiative and the total number of trees planted thanks to the scheme is 5,920.

The native trees will provide vital food and shelter for wildlife and will capture carbon as part of the fight against climate change.

Schemes include:

•       Stoney Stanton Recreation Ground – An area of half a hectare has seen around 400 trees planted. A superb planting event saw more than 50 people help plant the trees which  will improve the area for people and wildlife.

•       Sanfields Farm, Rothley – The landowners at this site have planted 600 trees to improve their holding for wildlife.

•       Stanton Lakes, Stoney Stanton – The planting of 1,200 trees will boost the site and provide a haven for wildlife.

Ruth Camamile, Chairman of the Stepping Stones Partnership which aims to improve green spaces in the county, said: “It is wonderful to see communities getting involved in a making their neighbourhoods greener.

“Trees not only improve the look of the land, but they also play an important role in helping reduce the effects of global warming.  We are pleased to be working with the Woodland Trust to bring more WIMBYs to the area.”

Laura Parry from the Woodland Trust added: “We’re looking to double native tree cover across the country, as the UK has such a small proportion compared to the rest of Europe.

“Leicestershire in particular has a tiny amount so by working at grass roots level on projects such as WIMBY we’re able to work with communities to make a real difference.”

For more on the Stepping Stones Project visit: www.leics.gov.uk/stepping_stones

For more on the work Leicestershire County Council is doing to help protect our planet visit: www.leics.gov.uk/environment

For more on the Woodland Trust visit: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

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