NEWSROUND
The greening of
By Lisa Collins
Britain
2
Lancelot Brown would have been jumping for joy at news of the greening of Great Britain – if he hadn ’ t been dead for the past 300 years .
For Brown , aka Capability Brown , created more than 260 landscaped gardens – including Stowe just north of Buckingham – which have made the English countryside famous the world over .
And Visit England are commemorating the 300th anniversary of his birth in August 1716 with a series of visitor events highlighting some of his most dramatic garden creations including Blenheim Palace , the Wimpole Estate and , of course , the jewel in the crown , Stowe .
Brown ’ s modus operandi was visionary , breathtaking in its execution . For in re-styling great swathes of English parkland , he created hills and lakes , but had to uproot and relocate huge mature trees , a trademark feat of arboreal engineering .
But even he would have marvelled at the audacious pledge of the Woodland Trust to plant more than 60 million new trees across the country over the next 15 years .
Since launching its campaign in 2015 , the Woodland Trust has signed up more than 40 organisations worldwide to create a mass movement of tree lovers .
The end game will be the launch in November 2017 of a 21st century version of the medieval royal charter on the 800th anniversary of the 1217 Charter of the Forest . The aim of this modern Charter for Trees , Woods and People is nothing less than to redefine the relationship between trees and people in the UK for future generations .
The charter will be rooted in stories and memories that reflect how trees have shaped society , landscape and lives . And the Trust wants people to share personal stories that help reflect the true meaning of trees and woods to the people of the UK .
“ Everyone benefits from trees , woods and forests even if they never see or touch a tree ,” said a spokesman . The Tree
Charter aimed to bring back a “ cultural connection ” between the people and a rich and healthy forest .
Over the past 10 years more than 100,000 miles of British hedgerow have been destroyed and over 100 ancient woodland sites lost to development – with another 434 still under threat , says the Trust .
As a result , 60 per cent of the UK ’ s plant and animal species have declined in the last 50 years with 10 per cent threatened with extinction .
The Trust stepped up its campaign in May when they launched their ambitious plan to reforest the whole of Britain by planting 64 million trees – one for every person in the country .
The multi-million pound project will see hedges , copses and 20 million trees reintroduced on to farmland across the country – and the planting of 15 million new trees around towns and cities across the nation to create “ green pathways ” for wildlife , including bats , butterflies and pine martens in urban areas .
The model for this urban greening is Hull which has been transformed from a wooded dead zone and the least sylvan city in Britain by having 100,000 trees planted by the Woodland Trust .
Huge areas of the country have become “ no man ’ s land ” for wildlife that needs trees for cover , said Austin Brady , the Trust ’ s conservation director .
“ We ’ re not trying to turn the clock back , but if we lose more trees , it ceases to be a natural landscape . In some parts of the country , the ecosystem is on the brink of collapse .”
Which is why the Trust is worried about massive infrastructure projects that break out of the green belt and cut through the countryside .
The Trust is particularly concerned about the proposed route of HS2 which , they say , threatens 36 ancient woods directly with a further 27 at risk from disturbance , noise and pollution . And they remain unconvinced that this route is as green as the Government claims .
“ We echo many people ’ s concerns over HS2 ’ s potential environmental impact .
Our primary worry is the high level of damage to ancient woodland along the route ,” said a spokesman .
Many of the threatened woodland areas are in Buckinghamshire , including Sheephouse Wood , Decoypond Wood and Finemere Wood , all a few miles south of Buckingham .
Finemere , along with Rushbeds Wood and Whitecross Green nature reserves , also in Buckinghamshire , was once part of the ancient Royal Forest of Bernwood , where kings and queens hunted wild boar . It is currently undergoing a three-year conservation project .
The lush expanse of woodland at Finemare is home to a host of flora and fauna including wood anemone , early-purple orchid or greater butterfly-orchid , and wildlife , birds , bats and butterflies .
The royal forest boar have long gone , but the sylvan glades are alive with bees buzzing and butterflies flitting in this true nature reserve . It is one of the best places to spot the magnificent purple emperor , its smaller cousin , the white admiral , and in late summer , an influx of silver-washed fritillaries that hunt out patches of violet for their caterpillars to feed on .
But if the HS2 is unleashed , no more . The Trust made known its concerns to the All-Party Parliamentary Group ( APPG ) on Ancient Woodland & Veteran Trees at Westminster in March .
The Government has committed to legislate for the new body which will manage the public forest estate ( PFE ) in England , so the charter hopes for a new Forestry Act with the people at its heart .
The Trust hopes the charter will rekindle the relationship between children and the forests , the ideal of “ a tree for every child ”, and inspire schools to improve awareness of the UK ’ s woods and trees .
Supporters – Charter Champions – will receive training , support and help in funding local events and projects that bring the community together around a celebration of local woods and trees .
For more information on how to be a charter champion go to https :// treecharter . uk / you-and-your-community /