1,500 trees planted in Newcastle for North East Community Forest

Volunteers and councillors joined forces to plant 1,500 trees in Newcastle as part of the North East Community Forest.

Around 30 Newcastle City Council staff rolled up their sleeves and planted 800 trees at Montagu Dene, known locally as the pit heap, in Denton.

A further 700 were planted by 30 volunteers from the local community the following day.

Cllr Clare Penny-Evans, cabinet member for climate change and public safety, said: “Planting trees is always an enjoyable and rewarding experience and once again our communities have shown their commitment to looking after the environment and tackling climate change.

“In time these trees will help turn the tide on biodiversity loss, improve air quality, create new green spaces for people to enjoy and new habitats for birds and wildlife.

“The event was another big step forward in our aspirations to create a greener and more sustainable future for generations to come.”

The council’s ground maintenance team and volunteers from the Prince Trust supported the event by removing rubbish and fly-tipped waste from the park.

The event, which took place on March 11 and 12, was organised by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust on behalf of the council.

It was also supported by Trees for Cities and the England Community Forests Trees for Climate Fund.

The North East Community Forest aims to plant up to 500 hectares of trees by 2025, with a long-term goal to increase canopy cover across the region to 30% by 2050.

Trees will be planted in Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside, Sunderland and urban parts of County Durham.

When fully planted, the North East Community Forest is expected to capture 155,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the emissions from the energy needs of 30,000 homes in a year.