TO mark 100 years of championing the countryside, CPRE Avon & Bristol has launched a £10,000 public crowdfunder to create a new Centenary Woodland Grove in the Avon Valley, just south of Bristol.

The initiative will see 100 native trees planted on publicly accessible land near Pensford, forming part of the wider Great Avon Wood and the charity’s flagship Hedgerow Heroes campaign.

In a powerful act of connection between culture and conservation, members of the Bristol Youth Orchestra will join local residents and volunteers to plant the Grove on March 1, before returning to the stage later that month to perform in CPRE’s Centenary concert, A Concert for the Countryside, at Bristol Beacon. The site, located off Parsonage Lane near the A37, will be open to the public year-round, offering an opportunity to witness the woodland’s growth over time and its impact on local biodiversity.

The Grove is being created to honour the landscapes CPRE has worked to protect since 1926 and to inspire a new generation of countryside custodians. Every donation to the campaign supports the planting of native trees including hazel, hawthorn, wild pear, bird cherry and rowan. The site will be designed as a rich, varied habitat, providing food, shelter and nesting opportunities for birds, bats, hedgehogs and pollinators.

This new Grove, made possible by public support, will form the heart of CPRE’s Centenary celebrations, culminating in a unique orchestral event at Bristol Beacon. ‘A Concert for the Countryside’ will take place on March 29, presented in partnership with Bristol Youth Orchestra and featuring guest composer and conductor Debbie Wiseman OBE. The concert will bring the story of the English countryside to life through live music and rare archive film.

Tickets for A Concert for the Countryside are now on sale via Bristol Beacon’s website.

To donate to the crowdfunder, visit: www.cpreavonandbristol.org.uk/news/centenarywoodlandgroveandhedgerowappeal