Woodland Trust Gives Away Free Trees

We recently came across the Woodland Trust’s Free Trees For Schools And Communities and thought this was too good not to share.

We are being reminded urgently that our climate is in crisis with soaring CO₂ emissions and a growing human population, and the Woodland Trust is determined to help.

With trees consuming CO₂, locking up carbon and producing oxygen, not to forget making our planet beautiful and growing much of our food, it makes perfect sense to plant more of them and as quickly as possible.

The Woodland Trust says that it wants to make sure everybody in the UK has the chance to plant a tree, so it is giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities.

There are two delivery periods per year – March and November – and it is currently taking applications for trees to be delivered in November 2020. 

Its website has a wealth of information on the kind of trees available to plant, and how to ensure they thrive.

You can see what packs are available below:

Hedge

Make a natural screen or connect existing woodland to help wildlife stay safely on the move. You will get a variety of each species for eight metres of full, easy-to-manage hedging.

(For a longer length, the Wild Harvest, Year Round Colour, Wildlife and Wild Wood packs also make great hedgerows and are available with 105 or 420 saplings.)

• Trees: 30 
• Species: dog rose, hawthorn, hazel, crab apple, dogwood 
• Size of land: 6-8 metres of double-row hedging

Copse

Plant a mini-forest school classroom or a peaceful oasis for birds. You will get 10 of each species for a small, tranquil copse.

• Trees: 30 
• Species: silver birch, rowan, wild cherry 
• Size of land: tennis court

Wild Harvest

Grow an array of fruits and nuts to produce your own jams, jellies and wines.

• Trees: 105 or 420 
• Species: hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose, elder, rowan 
• Size of land for 105 saplings: 4 tennis courts or 20-25 metres of double-row hedge
• Size of land for 420 saplings: 1 football pitch or 85-100 metres of double-row hedge

Year-Round Colour

Enjoy beautiful blossoms, bright berries and stunning autumn displays.

• Trees: 105 or 420 
• Species: hawthorn, dogwood, wild cherry, silver birch, rowan, hazel
• Size of land for 105 saplings: 4 tennis courts or 20-25 metres of double-row hedge
• Size of land for 420 saplings: 1 football pitch or 85-100 metres of double-row hedge

Working Wood

Fuel a log burner in 7-10 years, or channel your creativity and learn to carve or weave willow.

• Trees: 105 or 420 
• Species: rowan, silver birch, wild cherry, common oak, field maple, grey willow
• Size of land for 105 saplings: 4x tennis courts
• Size of land for 420 saplings: football pitch

Wildwood

These hardy native species can tolerate exposed sites and help dry up wet areas.

• Trees: 105 or 420 
• Species: hazel, crab apple, downy birch, hawthorn, holly, goat willow 
• Size of land for 105 saplings: 4 tennis courts or 20-25 metres of double-row hedge
• Size of land for 420 saplings: 1 football pitch or 85-100 metres of double-row hedge

Wildlife

Establish food and shelter for wildlife and create a living legacy for future generations.

• Trees: 105 or 420
• Species: hawthorn, rowan, blackthorn, silver birch, hazel, common oak
• Size of land for 105 saplings: 4 tennis courts or 20-25 metres of double-row hedge
• Size of land for 420 saplings: 1 football pitch or 85-100 metres of double-row hedge

Urban Trees

Easy to manage, this pack is designed for residential areas with limited communal space. If no shared space is available, applications to split between neighbouring front gardens to green up your street are considered. Tree packs for private use can be found in our shop.

• Trees: 15 – a mix of three native species chosen to thrive in urban environments
• Species: crab apple, rowan, hazel
• Protection: spirals and canes

Please note, species may vary from those advertised. 

The Woodland Trust also advises that if you can’t wait or your application is unsuccessful, you can buy packs in its shop all year round.

All the trees it supplies are sourced and grown in the UK and Ireland.

For more information or to apply for your trees: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-co