21 January 2005
Local people get muddy for a better environment
Following a vigorous community campaign, local people finally get the chance to plant trees
Following a enthusiastic community campaign to raise money for the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) to extend Granllyn Pool, a small community wood at Guilsfield near Welshpool, local people will finally get the chance to plant trees at a public planting event on Saturday 22 January. With the support of the local community, Granllyn Pool with be extended by 1.2 ha (3.2 acre), through the planting of native trees.
Organised by Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust), the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, this tree planting is part of Tree For All, the ambitious new tree planting campaign which aims to plant a tree for every child in the UK over a five year period, 12 million in total, and to involve 1 million children in doing this.
Originally, this planting event was due to have taken place on 20 November last year, but it had to be postponed when contractors preparing the site noticed that the rare great crested newts, for which the site has been designated a Special Area of Conservation under European Law, were still active and had not hibernated as expected. This meant that there was a risk that these rare animals could be trampled under foot by those taking part in the event. As a responsible landowner, and a conservation charity, Coed Cadw felt it had no choice but postpone the big public planting day. But this will now take place this Saturday.
Rhydian Roberts, who manages the site for Coed Cadw says: "After all the work that’s gone into raising the money to acquire the site, it’s great to see the trees being planted at last. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported the campaign. We can be sure that, together, we’ve helped to create a better local environment in Guilsfield, both for wildlife and for people."
Granllyn Pool is one of the 250 community woods in Wales, England and Northern Ireland created as part of Coed Cadw’s Millennium Woods on your Doorstep project. A shallow lake occupies most of the site. There is no stream inflow or outflow and water levels normally fall in summer. Most of the pool is covered with sallow willow and tall emergent pond vegetation including bur-reed, yellow flag, bulrush and bottle sedge. The site includes some gently sloping land around the Pool. This was improved cattle grazed pasture until 1998. Most of this land was planted with native broadleaved trees in November 1999. Like almost all Coed Cadw woods, Granllyn Pool is open for the public to visit at any time, for free. It now has its own website at: www.wt-woods.org.uk/granllynpool This includes a whole range of information about the site and its management, including an interactive map.
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For media enquiries contact:
Rory Francis (Publicity and Public Affairs Officer for Wales) on 01766 832563 or 07760 171174
Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH
Email roryfrancis@woodland-trust.org.uk
Ben Earl (Regional Development Officer, Coed Cadw) on 07767 411769
Rhydian Roberts (Woodland Officer, Coed Cadw) on 01745 818808 or 07884 113821
or The Woodland Trust Press Office media@woodland-trust.org.uk
Notes to editors:
1. To find out more about Tree For All contact www.treeforall.org.uk or telephone 0845 108 1428.
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include 129 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.woodland-trust.org.uk. The Trust adopted a new Welsh language name in 2000: "Coed Cadw". This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
