TCV Blogs Editor

We have been really buoyed at The Conservation Volunteers with all the positive conversations we continue to have with our corporate partners around how we can get back to working together after COVID-19.

In 2019 we had a record-breaking year with over 7,000 employees from our corporate partners volunteer with TCV, supporting hundreds of community projects across the UK.  We know from feedback (98% of employees we surveyed would recommend a day with TCV to a colleague) just how much they enjoy making a difference in local communities.

Our TCV Rep for the day was fantastic, knowledgeable, helpful, enthusiastic, and provided absolutely anything you could need. I really enjoyed my day with TCV and can’t wait to do it again, it was hard work but great fun and really rewarding.

Employee volunteer

Of the 7,000 employee volunteers we worked with last year, an incredible 5,200 volunteers were from the NatWest Group working on 71 sites across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

In October, our tree planting programme ‘I Dig Trees’ in partnership with OVO Energy won the Charity Times CSR Project of the Year – and we also planted our millionth tree!

We launched our new partnership with Sky UK. The amazing fundraising teams from Wates Group ran, paddled, cycled, walked, and baked throughout the year to raise a staggering £100K to support our TCV projects and volunteers.

Rest assured, we are planning for when the restrictions ease and we can once again welcome everyone back, your energy, passion and commitment will be needed more than ever to support our community green spaces as we transition post COVID-19.

To say that 2020 has been a strange year would be somewhat of an understatement. We are living through a pivotal moment of human history and can be forgive for feeling overwhelmed during this time.

Whilst precautions are being taken to protect our physical health, it is important that we also take precautions to protect our mental health

18^th – 24^th May is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme is kindness.

We are adapting to a new way of living, become more reliant than ever on digital technology to remain connected to our friends, families and colleagues, but one thing that has remain the same is the importance of our public green spaces to provide areas for us to escape to (whilst adhering to physical distancing measures) and take a break from the ‘new normal’.

But it is important that during this time of adjustment and uncertainty, we remain kind not only to others, but to ourselves too.

“We have chosen kindness because of its singular ability to unlock our shared humanity. Kindness strengthens relationships, develops communities and deepens solidarity,” says Mark Rowland, CEO of Mental Health Foundation.

Many of us are already exhibiting kindness within our local communities, however with increased physical distancing measures in place and some people being classed as ‘at risk’ by the NHS, the inability to be active in their communities during this time may cause an increased decline in mental health.

Staying healthy, following Government guidelines and protecting our NHS is itself a social act of kindness. What is kinder than potentially saving lives?

At The Conservation Volunteers, we are advocates of spending time in nature as a way to feel happier and healthier. Spending time in nature has been proven to alleviate the effects of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. 

We have been sharing ideas of how to spend more time outside whilst adhering to the Government lockdown measures, and our team have been sharing how they are spending connected to nature whilst working from home.

Whether it be talking daily walks, growing your own produce, bringing nature inside or carrying out activities in your own green space, connecting with nature is a simple way to be a little kinder to yourself.

It is important to remember that we are all doing our very best to get through this pandemic together. With an increased reliance on social media, it is easy to see what others are doing during this time and compare ourselves to on-screen personas.

So please, if you can do just one thing today, be kind. To others, and to yourself.

Across our social media, we have been sharing ways to stay connected to nature at home during this period of physical distancing.

Physical distancing has also meant that many of us are now working from home. For a lot of our team, working outdoors in the fresh air and with nature is the norm.

We have asked our TCV across the UK how they have adjusted to working from home, and how they are staying connected with nature at this time.

From working near a window to bird watch, taking the dog for a walk in a park where calves have just been born, and even naming a local fox, our team are taking advantage of their local green spaces and gardens.

Sara Harrison – TCV Operations Leader (London – Kings Cross)

I don’t have access to a garden but I’ve been enjoying playing ‘spot the fox’ every day from my new home desk next to a window look at my neighbour’s garden.

This fox (I’ve nicknamed her Joan!) follows the sun round the garden all day and makes me very jealous that I’m not outside.

My house plant collection has also been getting much more attention at the moment as well – good time for some propagation and re-potting!

Mark Slater – Head of Information Technology (Central Services – Doncaster)

I am lucky to have a small office overlooking our garden which we as a family have been spending a lot of time in during the current period of lockdown.

Outside of TCV, I volunteer for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service as a community first responder. After a particularly long day in the home office or after returning from a difficult call, there is nothing better I find for my mental health than going for a walk in nature and in the fresh air.

This video was shot on a return from a call I attended recently, it shows to me that we are all together in this as one community sharing the world.

Joanne Smith – TCV Senior Warden (London – Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park)

Although I carry out site checks on some days, I mostly work from home at the moment. My desk is a dining room table but I have a view of my indoor plants and my small garden.

I live in a really built up area very close to a noisy railway track but I am really lucky to have access to a garden.

Though small, I have stuffed the garden full of plants and mini container ponds, even digging up the lawn to add more herbs and flowers. My newly painted rocking chair is my relaxation space!

I really miss the park and our volunteers but in my spare time I do a bit of gardening therapy and am gradually planting up a neglected communal area nearby.

Kirsty Crawford – TCV Project Officer (Glasgow)

Here are a few photos of my border terrier Finn and what we see on our daily dog walk.

Lots of blossom around Glasgow and we’re lucky our local park within walking distancing has a heard of Highland Cows who have just had their calves.

We’re keeping active every day and looking out for local wildlife to record so we keep up with the Citizen Science elements that I usually look after under the Scotland Counts project. Engaging with nature each day on the dog walk is a nice way to adjust to working from home!

Ruth Gerrard – TCV Development Manager

I usually work from home anyway, but have had to move my workspace into the bedroom whilst my toddler is off nursery. Feels very leafy with the trees outside.

I have also finally got around to putting up the flatpack greenhouse we bought last year, with lots of veg and flowers growing.

We’ve also dug up part of our lawn for growing vegetables. First in are the courgettes!

Michelle Crozier – HR Advisor (Central Services – Doncaster)

I do feel rather lucky to be surround by beautiful open spaces and such picturesque scenery. I have been sharing my ‘home office’ with my daughter’s ‘classroom’.

Our daily walks have been our saviour. Being in the house all day, every day is something we (like most others) are certainly not used to! My girls are swimmers with Rotherham Metro, they go kickboxing and on top of school each day, they lead very busy lives.

The walks we have, saying ‘hello’ to the cows and being able to wander around such fabulous spaces with little or no fear of running into anyone else to have to practice social distancing, has been the one thing I am truly grateful for.

The lovely weather means we’ve been able to appreciate the sights we have on our doorstep, and will continue to do so much more long after all this is over.

Samantha Woods – TCV Team Leader (Leicester)

The Leicester Food Growing Community Support programme is continuing to thrive during the lockdown.

I recently launched a ‘Garden Chats Phoneline’ so that all the groups I usually support in the community can stay in contact and share their stories or get answers to thorny gardening queries.

At lunchtime, I take a walk in the nearby Arboretum and watch spring unfold. The latest flower to blossom on the woodland floor is Lady’s Smock (or Cuckoo Plant). When I’m not at the computer, my workspace is used for seed sowing and potting on the plants that feature in the Lockdown Garden.

Hazel Smoczynska – TCV Administrator (Leeds – Hollybush)

I brought some plants from Hollybush back with me to make my home office greener and it’s really been appreciated by the local wildlife.

Maria Schlatter – TCV Senior Project Officer (London – Camden)

This week, I have moved my home desk away from the wall to face the garden instead. Saving the daily 2+ hour commute is a bonus and this morning I have already spotted jays, two dainty gold finches, tits, and of course loads of grey squirrels and wood pigeon waiting for spills on the ground.

It’s also very important for your eyesight to gaze at longer distance objects away from the screen every so often!

We’ve changed our weekly volunteer newsletter to a twice weekly ‘virtual Camden Green Gym session’ newsletters, which aim for volunteers to remain part of Camden Green Gym in spirit until nature conservation sessions return.

Our volunteers have also been sending us pictures and stories both from their local excursions on foot or bicycle, as well as updates on their lives in lockdown.

Our team has set up a private WhatsApp group to keep in touch with each other and we are haring our indoor/outdoor garden projects, as well as favourite board games, musicals and cook efforts.

Debbie Murrary – TCV Senior Project Officer (Norwich)

I spend time in my garden to connect with nature, and enjoy the wildlife to comes to it.

Ingenious ways to mitigate flooding and improve biodiversity have been invented by volunteers with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) for tributaries of the River Medway.

Working with South East Rivers Trust (SERT) since 2018, enthusiastic TCV volunteers have used their wits and skills to custom-build fifty ‘leaky’ dams from natural materials on woodland streams in the Medway catchment area.

The dams help reduce the flow of water into vulnerable towns and villages such as Five Oak Green near Tunbridge Wells which flooded during Storm Ciara in February 2020. The catchment area, stretching across parts of Kent, Surrey and East Sussex, has a history of disastrous flooding, notably during the Great Floods of 1968.

In 2013, 900 homes were inundated over Christmas, leading to a £19 million investment in flood defences under the Medway Flood Action Plan.

The dams also create more habitat for scarce wetland plants and animals. In Bedgebury Forest, home to the National Pinetum, patches of greater tussock sedge (carex paniculata) can now thrive in damper, brighter conditions where volunteers have coppiced trees to build the dams and let in more sunlight.

The new habitats will mature over time, adding a greater range of nutrients and niche environments where woodland wildlife can flourish.

Volunteer Owen Johnston who leads the teams building the dams explains: “We use whatever natural materials are to hand – logs, branches, twigs, lumps of stone – to partially block the water-courses and divert floodwater into surrounding parts of the woodland. Occasionally we dig new channels where the layout of the land allows.

“I’ve found it fascinating to learn how to engineer and locate these structures for maximum effect with minimum effort and disturbance. Each stream is different, so you must adapt the basic structures to fit every location. We’ve also enjoyed dreaming up different and sometimes improbable-looking designs, in case one turns out to work exceptionally well. These include ‘living dams’ made of pleached trees (like a laid hedge), palisades, woven spruce branches, and dead hedges stretching across wider valleys.”

Owen says that the effectiveness of the dams is clearly demonstrated by the tide-mark of debris that forms behind them after heavy rainfall.

In addition, a paper reporting quantitative research is being prepared by Kings College London who have set up electronic equipment to monitor the performance of one of the dams.

TCV was approached to carry out the work following an earlier project for SERT at Powdermill stream near Battle in East Sussex. SERT thus knew from experience the task would be ideal for the many skilled and physically active volunteers who regularly turn out alongside thousands of others with varied ages, ability and fitness to improve their local environment, learn new skills and feel good with TCV. F

unders for the dams include the Medway Flood Action Plan and the EU FRAMES (Flood Resilient Areas by Multi-LayEred Safety) project via the European Regional Development Agency and the Environment Agency through DEFRA.

In the long term, the structures will need maintenance and replacing as they naturally deteriorate with time. “It’s a never-ending task,” says Owen (in March 2020) “and we can’t wait to start again when the present restrictions lift!”

Spring is a great time to get out into the fresh air. It’s also a super opportunity to discover the seasonal changes in your local wildlife.

Astronomers say spring starts on 20th March. Yet, due to warmer winters, it seems to get earlier every year for plants and animals, and no-one knows exactly what the consequences will be.

Time for Citizen Science

Citizen Science is a way for people in your community to learn more about local green spaces and share their knowledge with the wider world (while getting active, meeting other volunteers, and inspiring little ones!).

Pick something that sparks local interest and get counting. Often all you need to take part is a simple spotter’s guide, notebook and pencil.

Here’s some ideas to get you started:

Migratory birds

Everyone gets excited about the first cuckoo of spring. But what about the first arctic skua – recorded from 11th April in Hampshire?

Breaking bud

Which trees are coming into leaf and when? How are diseases such as Ash dieback affecting your area?

Pond life

Look out for frog spawn, tadpoles and newts. Amphibians world –wide are under serious stress. The more we know, the more chance there is to save them

Night-wings

Late spring is a good time to count the bat species in your area. This does require specialist detectors, so talk to your local bat group for advice and the equipment you’ll need

Minibeasts

As the weather improves, invertebrates are on the move. You might find something unexpected in your patch. Look out especially for 7-spot ladybirds, butterflies, bumble bee and wasp queens

For guidance on how to set up a project visit TCV’s Citizen Science web page or contact your local TCV office.

Last year, The Conservation Volunteers celebrated our 60^th anniversary; six decades of digging, planting, cutting, citizen-sciencing, path-building, growing, teaching, community-building, chatting, laughing and tea-making!

As we celebrated six decades of conservation work in the same year that the climate crisis dominated the headlines and public consciousness, it was clear that the work our community of volunteers has tirelessly carried out is now more important than ever.

We started the year by offering free membership to new and existing members of the TCV Community Network, made possible thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery. In April, we reached an incredible 1,000 community groups as part of the network, creating a stronger organisation of groups that share our goals and are working towards the same aim: to create healthier and happier communities.

The continued and generous support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery also allowed us to hold 6 flagship events in Glasgow, Leeds, Doncaster, London and Brighton as part our Big Green Weekend in September – our annual weekend showcasing the scale and breath of the activities we deliver week in, week out across the UK

We were also able to celebrate the TCV 60^th Anniversary Hero Awards with a ceremony and reception at City Hall in London. Over the past 60 years, we have witnessed how much difference conservation volunteering can make to an individual’s physical and mental health as well as the environment.

We heard of the positive impact volunteering has had for some of our volunteers and the many ways in which they in turn have inspired others to take to conservation volunteering, surrounded by team members, volunteers, funders and partners, as well as our President Sir Jonathan Porritt.

For TCV to first of all make 60 years as a charity or organisation is fantastic. So, the hope would be maybe for TCV to go another 60 years, make 120! That would be great for people who are going to be in my position and to be able to bring them out the other; to be the person that is maybe underneath all that is holding them back. That would be great.

Stacey Allan – TCV Star of the Future Award Winner, 2019

In a year filled with promises for improvements to our natural environment from those in power, we also celebrated making good on a promise of our own. After winning Corporate Social Responsibility Project of the Year at the 20^th Annual Charity Times Awards, our I Dig Trees programme, in partnership with OVO Energy, reached our 1 millionth tree since the programme began in 2015.

The team from OVO joined us to celebrate our 60^th anniversary at the TCV 60^th Anniversary Tree Planting event in Camden, creating this amazing video that captured the spirit of the day perfectly – featuring Shirley Rodrigues, the Deputy Mayor of London, who helped plant some of the 3,500 trees that went towards the Mayor of London’s target of increasing London’s tree canopy by 10% by 2050.

It wasn’t just internal awards that our volunteers were awarded in 2019. Penge Green Gym were awarded a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK and is the equivalent to the MBE.

In Scotland, the Natural Talent traineeship won the RSPB Nature of Scotland Innovation Award. The award was voted for by a panel chaired by the Director of RSPB Scotland, Anne McCall, and Natural Talent, funded by The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, was victorious against 3 other shortlisted projects.

Our corporate volunteering partners also helped us celebrate our 60^th anniversary in 2019. Wates fundraised and donated over £120,000 to The Conservation Volunteers and 500 staff members have volunteered over 3,000 hours.

Their fundraising achievements have included canoeing the length of Lake Windermere and cycling the width of the country. With their support, we have been able to fund a school Green Gym in London, the planting of 5,000 trees across the UK and the much-needed modernisation of Hollybush.

Across other partnerships, over 5,000 RBS employees volunteered with us in 2019, supporting 71 different community projects across the UK as part of their Team Challenge programme.

We hosted Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch and hundreds of Sky colleagues as part of Sky Cares at TCV projects across the UK. 2019 was also another incredible year for PwC’s One Firm One Day, with over 300 colleagues volunteering with us in May.

Whilst 2019 brought us many reasons to celebrate, we have also taken the time to remember with gratitude the contributions to TCV of Bob Boote, a past TCV Vice President and first Director-General of the Nature Conservancy, and David Bellamy, a volunteer on our first project in 1959 and later Vice President of TCV, both of whom sadly passed away in December.

Now in 2020, with the celebratory bunting packed away and at the start of a new decade, it has become apparent that many things have changed in the past 60 years, but one thing has remained the same: TCV’s vision of bringing people and places together to create happy, healthy and connected communities for everyone.

60 years may be a long time, but our work is not done yet. With the support of our partners and funders, community groups, individual volunteers and donors, we will continue to give everyone the opportunity to make a difference to themselves, their community and future generations as we work together as a global collective to protect our planet.

In the words of our Vice President Sir David Attenborough:

Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that.

The beginning of a new year often leads people to reflect on the things that they wish to change or improve on for the forthcoming 12 months. There is a positive correlation between the start of a new year and people beginning to search for a new job, around 64% of people in comparison to the rest of the year.

Whether it’s the ‘grass is greener’ mentality kicking in during the first few days of January, or the dread of returning to work if you’ve been off over the festive period, research suggests that it can take 1-2 years for someone to actually make a career change after they have decided upon it.

In recent years, news stories and events regarding our natural environment and the impact of climate change have been commonplace. More people are not only changing lifestyle habits in a bid to be more environmentally friendly but also looking at how they can create a positive impact on our environment in their careers.

To gain employment within the conservation sector, work experience is a vital part of obtaining a role. Through volunteering with TCV, the skills and knowledge needed to enter the environmental and conservation sectors are readily available.

Some of our volunteers began their time with us to gain this vital experience to pursue a career in the conservation sector.

Josh Thornhill

Josh is a Senior Project Officer with Enabling Projects in Clackmannanshire (EPIC), after leaving his job in sales construction when he realised that measuring success on the spec of the car you drive and the clothes you wore wasn’t for him.

I left my job, made a plan to begin volunteering with as many different types of organisations as it took to find the perfect place for me and, as I have always loved exploring and walking in Scotland, started with TCV. I’ve not needed to look any further.

Josh Thornhill

Through volunteering with TCV, Josh has had the opportunity to discover what he is passionate about and develop those passions into skills and experience and go on to share them with others as a career.

I have continued my exploration of Scotland’s greenspaces but have switched my briefcase for a beard, my brogues for some dirty boots, and my latte for some loppers!

Not only has volunteering allowed him to pursue a career in conservation but also allowed him to achieve his personal goals of becoming healthier, to work with people passionate about what they do, and to make an improvement to the world through his work.

Katie Gargett

In London, Katie felt compelled to leave behind her career in advertising due to her passion for the environment and trying to combat climate change.

Katie began volunteering at the Isleworth Green Gym as a way of gaining experience in the field and to meet people with similar interests. Through volunteering, Katie gained skills in tree identification, planting and how to build a dead hedge; skills that would not have been learnt in the office.

I feel like I learned a lot and met some lovely people. It’s given me a different perspective; I’ve previously only worked in large corporate companies. I was hoping to learn new skills to enable me to find a role in an environmental charity. I have achieved this, so I am very grateful.

Katie Gargett

Research has shown that people leave their jobs due to their relationship with management, a lack of opportunity to use their skills and abilities and the meaningless of their job, just to name a few. 42% of employees have changed jobs due to the stress of their job.

Ian Price

Ian quit his stressful job in the railway industry, wanting a career change with a specific view to work in the charity and conservation sector.

Ian volunteers with TCV alongside studying Countryside and Wildlife Management at college. The experience gained through volunteering complements the theory Ian learns at college and allows him to put this theory into action.

“Volunteering with TCV Bedford has added to my knowledge about nature and the environment. I hope to use this volunteering experience to pursue a career in conservation.”

And it hasn’t just been conservation skills that Ian has developed through volunteering, but transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork and communication skills.

The team have made me feel welcomed and valued as a volunteer. What I have learnt with TCV Bedford has helped me with my studies. Volunteering has also enabled me to put into action the things I have learnt on my course.

Ian Price

For some people, a change in career has come with a bigger change. Moving to another country sometimes poses the need for a career change.

Anne Aure

In 2018, Anne joined the Camden Green Gym after moving to London from Rio de Janeiro following a health problem. She decided to change her professional life too but was unsure how to go about it.

“I have a background in the corporate world as a civil engineer. Following the move to London, I was looking for a job with purpose but didn’t feel able to do anything. My lack of self-confidence was putting me down all the time.”

Anne Aure

The Green Gym has not only provided Anne with a practical way to improve her English and make new friends but has also allowed her to learn about nature conservation and develop skills related to conservation, community engagement, leadership and mental health.

Anne was quickly identified by the TCV Camden team as having Volunteer Officer material, and she has now joined the TCV staff and a sessional worker.

We all need to have a sense of responsibility for the place we live in and a sense of belonging to a community of people who like doing the same thing as us. I love what I do!

As cited by Prospects, an environmental degree isn’t the only route into the sector and suggests exploring the different paths into environmental work to see which best suits your skills and ambitions.

TCV not only provides a variety of different volunteering opportunities but also training opportunities throughout the UK.

As the year draws to a close, some of us will be thinking about making New Year’s Resolutions. The tradition dates back to ancient Babylonian times, where people would make promises to their gods during Akitu, a 12-day religious ceremony held in mid-March when the Babylonians celebrated New Year.

Similar traditions occurred in ancient Rome and for early Christians, and whilst the tradition may be based in religion, the practice is mostly secular today.

Last year in the UK, only 5% of people made a New Year’s Resolution. It is believed that the declining number in people making New Year’s Resolutions is due to the fact the resolutions people make require a lot of work and the momentum to keep up with their goals wains over time.

At TCV this year, we have been focused on inspiring the next generation of conservation heroes, but there is still so many little things that we can do in our day-to-day lives that can inspire the next generation, and those around us, to protect our natural environment.

So, for those of you who might be inspired to make resolutions this year, we’re sharing a few ideas that are simple to stick to and help save the planet at the same time.

Volunteer

Make a difference to your local environment by volunteering with your local TCV group. TCV are committed to providing positive lasting outcomes for green spaces and volunteers. Join in, feel good, and save the planet along the way.

Drive less – instead walk, bike, take public transport, carshare

Transport emissions accounted for a third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the UK. By walking, cycling or using public transport where necessary, you are reducing your carbon footprint on the planet.

Plant a tree

Trees are a ‘natural climate solution’ as they withdraw carbon from the air and release oxygen. Tree planting initiatives are running across the UK and globally. This year, TCV & OVO’s tree planting initiative ‘I Dig Trees’ planted its 1 millionth tree and we worked alongside the Mayor of London to help increase London’s tree canopy.

Reduce meat and animal products in your diet

Around 25% of all the global climate change problems we’re seeing can be attributed back to the food and the choices that we’re making about what we eat on a daily basis. That’s greater than all the cars on the planet; twice as much global warming pollution as the cars. By reducing the amount of meat and animal products we consume as part of our diet, we can help reduce our carbon footprint and lower the emissions in the atmosphere.

Incorporate seasonal foods into your meals

Not all the fruit and vegetables that are available in the supermarkets are grown in the UK, they are often imported in from overseas so that we have a vast range of choice throughout the year. However, by sticking to seasonal fruit and vegetables grown in the UK, the carbon footprint of the foods your consuming will be significantly less. Even more so if you grow the fruit and veg yourself!

Always bring a reusable mug/bottle

Not only reducing your plastic consumption but can also save you money too. Most coffee shops and cafés offer a discount for those who bring their own mug and by using your own bags, you save paying anything up to 30p a bag.

Set up a monthly donation to a charity that is tackling climate change

TCV is just one of many charities whose work is fighting back against the climate emergency. However, charities cannot carry out their work without the generous support of donations from members of the public. Why not set up a monthly donation to your chosen charity? It doesn’t have to be a huge amount, even the smallest of contributions can make a huge difference. Find out how to donate to TCV.

Reduce plastic consumption

20 times more plastic is used today in the UK than 50 years ago and  UK supermarkets produce 800,000 tonnes of plastic every year. However, 53% of UK consumers have reduced the amount of single-use plastic they use, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Things such as picking loose fruit and veg and not plastic wrapped produce, using paper stemmed cotton buds, reusable food wrap instead of cling film and switching to bamboo toothbrushes are all ways to reduce your plastic consumption.

New Year’s Resolutions do not always have to be radical changes to your everyday life, just small little things that you can do to make big impact on the world.

Article Written by TCV Volunteer Officer, John Bark

Since TCV and OVO Energy launched the I Dig Trees campaign back in 2015, over one million free trees have been allocated to public places, with individual volunteers and community groups helping to get them planted across the UK…..

The speed of uptake this year is way ahead of last year and shows a rising demand from people and groups who want to make a real difference to their local environment. 

All they need now is enough help to get this years’ 350,000 whips (baby trees) into the ground by the end of the planting season to reach the target of one million trees planted since the programme began.

If you are wondering whether it’s worth joining in, here are 10 good reasons to make the effort…

Fight climate change

Global warming is happening because carbon dioxide (CO₂) from all sources (natural and made-made) is accumulating in the atmosphere. Natural processes just don’t absorb the amount that is being produced fast enough.

Unfortunately, we have yet to invent an easily mass-produced machine (running on renewable energy) that will take CO₂ out of the air and lock it away where it can do no harm.

Fortunately, Nature has done the job for us with a highly effective carbon-capture device that’s cheap to install and maintain: the tree!  Through photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and go on doing so for years, absorbing CO₂ faster as they mature.  When trees age and decay, the carbon stored goes into the soil, not the air.

It’s direct action

Taking to the streets or putting your cross in a box are ways to get other people to do what you can’t do yourself. But there is no guarantee they will act – even if they understand the problem and sincerely want to make a difference.  But once you have planted a tree (with the landowner’s position), it’s done. One tiny positive step towards a better future. You don’t even have to be old enough to vote!

Wildlife benefits

Woodland – especially mixed native woodland – is a fabulous habitat for lichens, fungi, insects, birds and mammals. Some of this life you never see, like the fungal ‘mycelium’ network connecting tree to tree beneath your feet; others such as the jay bring a flash of colour and delight to a woodland walk.

Trees planted beside intensively cultivated farmland provide valuable shelter and food for birds such as the lark and the fast disappearing turtle dove.  Urban trees support wildlife too, commonplace creatures you barely notice, but you would miss if they vanished.

It’s good for your community

The simple act of planting trees is a great way to bring together a diverse range of people in a single cause.  And not just people in rural areas or leafy suburbs.

Planting in neglected urban spaces can help to create pride of place and strengthen the bonds within a neighbourhood. Trees can also make communities more resilient in the face of climate change.

Planted in the right place, trees can protect communities by reducing the threat of flooding and soil erosion. Planting a community orchard brings free fresh fruit in season!

Trees create their own climate

The Amazon rainforest makes rain clouds (see episode 3 of BBC’s wonderful Seven Worlds, One Planet), but all trees everywhere affect local climate, capturing rainfall, acting as windbreaks and providing cooling shade for people, animals and buildings.

Woods mean wealth

It is possible to put a cash figure on the benefit of tree-planting to society. According to the National Capital Committee, independent advisors to HM Government, 250,000 hectares of woodland planted near to cities and towns would produce £500 million in ‘societal benefits’ a year.

Cleaner air

Trees produce more oxygen than they use, a by-product of photosynthesis, but they also trap air particles and droplets which can damage human health.

Better health

Working on green projects outdoors is great for anyone who wants to get fit, but maybe doesn’t fancy the gym, or needs a bit more motivation.  Tree planting adds extra purpose that benefits others. It can also be more effective than going to a traditional gym. 

Studies have found that people taking part in conservation activities can use up to a third more calories than in a step aerobics class. And if you join a community group to care for your trees and other green spaces, you could have a fitness course for life (with guilt-free cake at tea break!).

Feel good

Green activity in the great outdoors has been shown to have a positive impact on mental well-being.  And even if you believe you are at the peak of mental strength and fitness, just think of the sense of achievement after an hour or two helping to save the planet.

It’s easy

You can make a lasting contribution towards a better future for everyone in just a few minutes.  All you need is a spade, a tree and some sturdy footwear!

Together we can plant one million trees across the UK.

You can help further by sharing your #IDigTrees experiences on social media:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn