Press Release

MP joins local community to help put the oak back into England

17 March 2009

It started the day as a blank canvas but the Woodland Trust's new site near Elmstead Market ended it last Saturday with 1,600 fledgling native tree and hedgerow species dotting the landscape. The Hon. Bernard Jenkin MP, Conservative member for North Essex, together with 130 local people turned out in force for the mammoth tree planting session to mark the Trust's recent acquisition of the land.

The Woodland Trust (the UK's leading woodland conservation charity) announced earlier this year it had completed the purchase of 42 hectares (105 acres) just three miles outside Colchester,

"People locally have been incredibly generous in helping us purchase this site, and it was great to see the level of support across all generations last weekend for our woodland creation plans here. It is especially good to see young families enjoying tree planting together", said Trust regional development officer, John Brown.

"This is just the start of our plans to involve the community at Elmstead", he added, "and we are looking forward to working with schools and holding special talks, walks and woodland discovery days for everyone in the area."

If you want to see how this site will look in the future Click here

About 60,000 British native broadleaved trees such as oak, ash, birch and hawthorn are planned for the site over the next five years, of which a massive 32,000 will be planted by the end of March as part of the Trust's contribution to Essex County Council's 'Essex Works' pledge to plant 250,000 new trees across the county over the winter of 2008/09.

There is a fragment of precious ancient woodland at Elmstead which in spring yields a spectacular carpet of bluebells. Ancient woodland, the UK's equivalent of rainforest, has existed for at least 400 years and is home to more threatened species than any other habitat in the UK.

By planting new trees on the arable land around it, the Trust aims to create woodland ‘corridors' that are critical for the survival of native British wildlife, including water voles, and other rare and threatened mammals, birds, butterflies, insects and flowers, enabling them to spread into neighbouring habitats.

The Trust still needs to raise £300,000 to pay for the Elmstead project. Support has already been received towards the purchase through grants from Essex Environmental Trust, Biffaward and Essex County Council.

Anyone wanting to contribute to the campaign or make a pledge can do so through the project's website www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/Elmstead or by calling John Brown directly on 01933 681295 or email johnbrown@woodlandtrust.org.uk.