Breath of fresh air for Greater London as it gets a pair of giant green lungs
Nearly 100 hectares (220 acres) of new woodland are being created in London and Essex to help enrich the environment of millions of people, reduce pollution and protect wildlife, thanks to a new multi-million pound Woodland Trust project.
At Park Farm Havering, £2 million investment will see more than 50 hectares (around 120 acres) of arable land within London’s greenbelt converted into woodland to help safeguard more than 1,000 animal and plant species and protect ancient tracts of nearby Hainault Forest in Essex. The site will see more than 65,000 native tree species planted by thousands of school children to create a wonderful legacy and inspirational woodland for generations to come. It will also help the natural regeneration of Hainault Forest.
Hundreds of local residents and a number of funders have generously supported the project including Biffaward, GrantScape, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation and WREN.
At nearby 40-hectare (98-acre) Theydon Bois in Essex, the Woodland Trust has raised more than £600,000 to purchase this key site in the heart of the Green Arc and plant nearly 50,000 native trees on open farmland within Epping Forest’s historic boundary. This will create a lasting, large scale community woodland that is readily accessible to all.
Theydon Bois has been supported by the Department of Communities and Local Government DCLG (the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) and the Countryside Agency.
Both sites fall within the pioneering 400-square mile Green Arc project which covers a vast swathe to the north and east of London and across Essex. It will pave the way for landscape-scale change to help protect more species, reduce pollution and enrich the environment of millions of people who live on its doorstep. Support for both sites has also been received from many of the Green Arc’s partners, particularly The Corporation of London, Essex County Council, the Forestry Commission, English Nature and Groundwork.
Key Woodland Trust celebrity supporter and award-winning writer Bill Bryson, is among the thousands who have already got behind the scheme.
He said: “This is a fantastic project. It makes hundreds of acres of woodland accessible to millions of people representing virtually every ethnicity on planet Earth and will engage young and old alike. The value of pieces of wilderness right on London’s doorstep, as irreplaceable refuges and habitats for thousands of species, simply should not be underestimated.”
John Tucker, Woodland Trust director of operations for Southern England, paid tribute to all who have supported the project.
He said: “This presses all the right buttons for us. It’s in an area with a high concentration of ancient woodland and ancient trees. It adjoins existing ancient woodland and it’s right on the doorstep of millions of people. We are very grateful indeed for all the support we have had in making this a fundraising success story.”
The sites are also part of the Woodland Trust’s ground-breaking Tree For All campaign.
