Scheme offers residents chance to plant trees for the future

Residents are being offered the chance to claim free trees as part of a scheme which will see 100,000 trees given away over the next four years. The trees will be available for planting in residents gardens', school playing fields or land maintained by community groups.

The Your Tree Our Future scheme was created as part of Hertfordshire County Council’s Tree and Woodland Strategy, which sets out how the council will increase tree cover in the county. The project will be delivered in partnership with Three Rivers District Council and other district and borough councils in the county.

Planting trees has a positive impact on air quality, helps reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, supports biodiversity and can help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. In addition, access to natural features has been linked with benefits to physical and mental health.

Residents can visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/yourtree  where they will be able to choose from a selection of eight different native species, or a hedgerow pack, which will be provided on a first come first served basis. Residents who have successfully requested free trees will receive an email from the council with details of how to collect them from a local pick-up point in December 2022.

Cllr Phil Williams, the district council’s Lead Member for Environmental Services, Climate Change and Sustainability, said: “Trees are an essential element of life on earth – they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, improve air quality and more besides. We must all share our responsibility both for our present well-being and for the future of life on earth, and this scheme is a great chance for residents of the district and county to plant trees which will make a difference for years to come.”

Cllr Eric Buckmaster, the county council’s Executive Member for the Environment, said: “As part of our Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy, we have committed to enabling our residents and businesses to take positive climate action, and the Your Tree Our Future scheme is a fantastic opportunity for them to get involved.

“Working in partnership with our district and borough colleagues to give our residents the tools to help tackle the climate crisis is a great example of the kind of cooperation that we need to create a more sustainable Hertfordshire.”

The Your Tree Our Future project will run for four years, starting in Autumn/Winter 2022 where 10,000 trees will be available. A further 30,000 trees will be available each year for the following three years.

Residents will be able to choose from eight different species, all of which have been chosen for their suitability for planting in Hertfordshire:

• Crab apple
• Field maple
• Hawthorn
• Hazel
• Hornbeam
• Rowan
• Silver birch
• Wild cherry

A limited number of hedgerow packs which include 30 trees (enough to plant 5-6 metres of hedgerow) will also be available.

The county council’s Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy sets out how it plans to become a more sustainable organisation while also helping to tackle the climate crisis in Hertfordshire. The key ambitions of the strategy that are supported by this project are: net zero greenhouse gas county by 2050, enhance nature across Hertfordshire’s land and water by 20% by 2050, cleaner air for all by 2030 and communities ready for future climates. Find out more about the council’s sustainability work at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/sustainability