More than 23,000 trees are being planted this winter across the South Downs National Park to help wildlife flourish and increase resilience to climate change.
As National Tree Week gets under way, scores of trees are going into the ground at 20 new sites across Sussex and Hampshire. These include:
- Bough Wood, Clanfield
- Centenary Park, Peacehaven
- Chilcomb Stud, Chilcomb
- Church Field St John Trust, Greatham
- Cissbury Fields Community Orchard, Findon
- Compton County Farm Estate, Compton
- Lancing Ring, Woodland Expansion, Lancing
- Lavington Stud, Lavington Estate, Petworth
- Manor Farm, Alresford
- Marden Farm, South Harting
- Mingledown Plantation, Chawton
- Park Gateway: The Queens clump and Avenue, Twyford
- Park Farm, Arundel
- Singleton Accessibility Project, Singleton
- Sullington Manor Farm, Pulborough
- Whitelands Wood, Weston, Petersfield
- Wiblings Wetlands, Graffham
- Wilmington Crossroads, Wilmington
- Woodingdean Wilderness Group, Woodingdean
- Woodlands Farm, Patching
It’s yet another big step forward as the Trees for the Downs campaign edges closer to its target of planting 100,000 trees across the region.
The initiative was launched exactly four years ago and this new phase of planting will mean well over 60,000 new trees across 114 different sites.
The tree planting is restoring those lost to pests and diseases, including Ash Dieback and Dutch Elm Disease, as well as creating new habitat for wildlife and amenity value for local communities.
The trees are a mixture of disease-resistant elm trees and native species, such as oak and black poplar, and sites include schools, farms, recreation grounds and historic parks.
The planting has been made possible by generous donations from the public and businesses to the South Downs National Park Trust, the official independent charity for the National Park, including a sizeable donation from The American Express Foundation.