After four years operating in one of the country’s most tree-depleted regions1, charity Avon Needs Trees (ANT) is celebrating a step change in woodland creation over the last year.

Founded in 2019, the small charity has gone from one small site in Wiltshire2 to completing three woodland schemes last year, as well as starting its most ambitious project yet the 113-acre Great Avon Wood five miles south of Bristol, jointly owned with Forest of Avon Trust. Over the next few years, volunteers will help to plant and care for 40,000 trees supplied by the Woodland Trust.

 In one year the small charity has almost quadrupled the land it looks after, from 46 acres across two sites to 169 acres across four sites

 Launch of Great Avon Wood near Pensford a “game changer”, opening up opportunities for landscape connectivity

 Next year the charity plans to more than double the 14,000 trees planted by volunteers across four sites over last year

 Metro Mayor Dan Norris says tree planting at scale is pivotal in the region’s ambitious plans to tackle the climate and nature crises

Chief Executive Officer Dave Wood said ANT’s achievements wouldn’t have been possible without huge support from the public, funding bodies and a wide range of partners.

“It’s been extraordinary,” Wood said, on the day the charity releases its Annual Report. “People want to see solutions to these massive challenges, they want to get involved, and they want to pass on a legacy of a more wooded landscape to future generations. Their drive and enthusiasm has been inspirational.”

“Donations from local people, as well as funds from Government, West of England Combined Authority and National Lottery Heritage Fund have unlocked these schemes,” Wood continued, “and we’ve enjoyed unprecedented support from all sorts of businesses too. But none of it could happen without our hundreds of volunteers planting thousands of trees in the winter months and then taking care of them throughout the summer. In total they’ve put in 5,695 hours of time, with a total value £113,900. They really are superheroes.”

ANT’s mission is to create permanent woodland in the Bristol-Avon river catchment to address both the causes and impacts of the climate emergency, as well create more space for nature to recover. Its Chair Mark Funnell said that the charity was set on making the biggest contribution possible, but doing so hand-in-hand with local communities.

“As extreme weather events hit us with increasing frequency, climate anxiety is starting to go through the roof. Polling demonstrates the Government’s recent delays to its net zero commitments are unpopular3 because people want to see action now. Our volunteers tell us that’s why they want to get involved – they want to take solutions into their own hands. And because we take the time to sit down with local people and plan our schemes together, they co-own these solutions.”

“Great Avon Wood is a game changer for the region. Over the next 50 years it is projected to lock up over 25,000 tonnes of carbon and it will slow the flow of torrential rainfall into local rivers like the Chew, reducing flood risk. And we are confident this is just the start. We have begun to explore how we might join schemes up across the wider landscape, creating new corridors for wildlife and mosaics of nature-rich habitat.”

Volunteers planted 6,500 trees in just seven weeks at Great Avon Wood earlier in the year. This coming planting season, ANT is aiming to plant more than double that in the fields just outside Pensford, as well as at kicking off woodland creation projects at further sites. To get itself in shape for these ambitious targets, the charity is doubling its number of trained volunteer leaders to around 25.

“We really hope new people join us over this coming planting season, as well as those who’ve had a go already,” said CEO Wood. “We also need help with fundraising, from businesses and members of the public alike. Although we had a fabulous response from the public to the Wild Isles Aviva Fundraiser this year4, with match funding bringing a total of £21,447 into our charity, we still have a particular need for funds to help us look after the trees we’ve already planted.”

The charity also ran dozens of free-to-access public events at sites across the year to support natural heritage education. Events range from forest schools to bat walks, butterfly counts to wellbeing days, with groups as diverse as children’s forest schools, refugee charities and charities promoting inclusive access.

Mayor Dan Norris called for more volunteers to step forward to help him and the Avon Needs Trees team to plant another 16,000 Great Avon Wood trees this winter.

He said: “More trees please! I’m proud that a bumper cash injection from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority I lead has helped set the stage for the 113-acre Great Avon Wood, working closely with Avon Needs Trees and other brilliant partners.

“It’s been a great start. 6,500 splendid saplings planted in 7 weeks is no easy feat, and I thank each and every volunteer who came forward to help us start planting Great Avon Wood.

“But we need to go further. So my message to locals though is – please get your boots on and come and get involved in all the planting opportunities at Great Avon Wood this winter.

“Because the West of England will need more woodland areas and green spaces as we aim to cut emissions across the West at pace. That’s why I’m backing tree-mendous tree-planting projects like Great Avon Wood – the biggest new forest in the West ever - which will really make our amazing region an even happier, healthier and more beautiful place to call home.”

Great Avon Wood is a partnership between Avon Needs Trees and Forest of Avon Trust. Funding for Great Avon Wood has come from Defra’s Trees for Climate programme, the West of England Authority’s Green Recovery Fund led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Tree planting at Great Avon Wood will recommence this winter and volunteers can sign up via the Avon Needs Trees website. Businesses are also encouraged to get in touch about corporate volunteering.