Lytham St. Anne’s News says a BIG thank you and well done to all the volunteers who have braved the recent chilly weather to join in with the Fylde Forest Rangers Community Tree planting events. The featured photograph shows the team, including two Fylde Council elected members, who recently planted 60 tree whips, including young Field Maples, Hazels and Crab Apples, which will add much needed age structure and diversity to Hope Street Community Park. These young trees will capture carbon as they grow and support wildlife as they mature. These add to over 120 young trees planted by the team in the past few days.

And they are just some of the 600 trees which are being planted in parks , including Ashton Gardens, Fairhaven Lake and Lowther Gardens, thanks to the hard work of Fylde Council’s tree team, the Fylde Ranger Service, and the dedication and generosity of spirit of local partners and volunteers.

This seasonal tree-planting spree is part of the ongoing annual process to improve tree canopy cover across Fylde, boosting biodiversity and contributing to carbon management, and will bring the total of trees planted in Fylde’s parks and open spaces over the past two years by Fylde Council and its partners to well over 2,000.

Councillor Thomas Threlfall, Chairman of the Environment, Health and Housing Committee, said, ‘I’m delighted to see these wonderful trees now being planted following extensive discussions to identify locations between myself and Vice Chairmen. These will most definitely make a difference for generations to come, and it really does fill me with a sense of pride that the work has now begun.’

The species of trees to be planted are native British trees chosen to thrive in the coastal environment, and as part of the continuous campaign, more planting is already scheduled for next winter and thereafter.’

Councillor Christopher Dixon, Deputy Chair of the Environment Health and Housing Committee added, ‘Despite the fact we have large swathes or rural space, Fylde actually has a low level of tree cover. In fact, it is because of this rural space – working farmers’ fields where trees simply cannot be planted for obvious reasons – that we have low levels of tree coverage. We want to see thousands more trees in the ground. They always improve an area and help with air quality. And it’s always nice to see schools getting involved so children understand why trees are so important, and see the fruits of their labour grow over the years.’

‘We’re planting where we can on council-owned and managed land to increase the number of trees in the borough – but we only have so much. If anyone owns an area where tree planting would be welcome then please let us know. There are several schemes where we can get trees for free and we would gladly set up a community event, such as those our Rangers have been holding these past few weeks, to help plant them.’

The photographs below show the community tree planting at Park View 4U.  The trees, planted by the volunteers and children, included Silver Birch and Common Oak, which were kindly donated by Fylde Council.