A local charity, Avon Needs Trees, is looking for volunteers to help plant Great Avon Wood, a new 100-acre woodland just off the A37, north of Pensford. The woodland will be planted with 40,000 trees over the next three years with work about to start on the area.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris will be joining local school children and staff from Avon Needs Trees and the Forest of Avon Trust on Wednesday, 22nd February to officially name the first area of woodland and to plant an oak tree to celebrate the launch of the Great Avon Wood.

You can join the growing community of volunteers who will help to plant thousands of trees over the next six weeks.

Director of Avon Needs Trees, Dave Wood, explains: “This is Avon Needs Trees’ biggest and most ambitious project to date, and we need people to join the growing community who will plant and care for Great Avon Wood. As well as planting trees, people can donate to help maintain the new woodland and encourage their employer to sign up for corporate volunteering days on site.”

Neighbour Alistair Ringer is looking forward to getting involved with the project. He said: "As a neighbour of the new Great Avon Wood, I couldn't be more excited. I've previously imagined what this landscape would look like if reforested, and am still pinching myself that it is soon going to become a reality!

“I've volunteered to help with the tree planting, as it is a great opportunity to do something practical to address the carbon and ecological challenges we face. I'm sure this new woodland will have a lasting positive impact, and I feel very fortunate to have a front row seat from which to watch it mature over the years to come."

People can find out more at www.avonneedstrees.org.uk/volunteering. Planting days happen Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday so there are opportunities to suit everyone.

The land at Great Avon Wood has been purchased in partnership with Forest of Avon Trust. Alex Stone, Director of the Forest of Avon Trust explains what makes Great Avon Wood so important: “This type of project is vital because finding land is the biggest challenge to doubling tree cover across the region, which we aim to achieve by 2050. Owning the land together gives the new woodland permanence as well as an opportunity to share skills and best practice more widely.”

Great Avon Wood will be planted with over thirty species of trees including hornbeam, oak, willow and alder. Trees will be provided as saplings by the Woodland Trust.

Some areas will be left to regenerate naturally, allowing self-seeded saplings to flourish. Avon Needs Trees will work with the local community to plant a community orchard within Great Avon Wood. People of all ages can enjoy the woodlands at wellbeing days and family days and colleagues can take part in a team ‘away day’.

Funding for Great Avon Wood has come from the Forest of Avon Trust through the Trees for Climate programme, the West of England Authority’s Green Recovery Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Find out more about Avon Needs Trees: www.avonneedstrees.org.uk/newsletter. It’s also really easy to register as a volunteer tree planter and get out planting this winter www.avonneedstrees.org.uk/volunteering.