February 2025
Local community helps with woodland planting
In February, over 200 volunteers from local schools and the community offered their time to help with the woodland and hedgerow planting at Lunt.
Project
Woodland creation at Lunt
We’re creating new woodlands and more diverse habitats, like wetlands and species rich grassland, on 78 hectares of land in Lunt, Sefton with the help of our partners.
How the project will benefit nature and people
We're working in partnership with organisations who care for land in the surrounding area including, The Mersey Forest, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, The Environment Agency and Forestry England, to connect habitats. New areas of forest will join existing pockets of woodland and wetlands to create a green haven for local people to enjoy, and habitats for a broad range of wildlife from birds to insects, to native plants and even perhaps red squirrels.
The UK is one of Europe’s least wooded nations, yet these spaces are vital in our response to the biodiversity and climate crises. We're keen to play our part by supporting woodland creation projects near places where people live, helping both biodiversity recovery and climate mitigation, as well as providing opportunities for people to access nature close to home.
People feel much more connected to nature when they can access it close to home. We know that this makes a huge difference to health and wellbeing.
A quote by Justin MatthewsFormby and Central Lancashire Area Ranger
How the work has been funded
The project has been part funded by the DEFRA Trees For Climate programme through The Mersey Forest team, as well as HSBC UK and funds raised through our Plant a Tree appeal.
Trees are one of our most powerful tools in mitigating climate change. As new woodland develops and matures it locks up carbon in soils and timber, as well as intercepting rainfall, which can help to reduce flood risk and reduce water pollution.
You can see the early concept plans for Lunt and a proposed visualisation below.
What's the latest?
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Get in touch to share your feedback or ask us anything about the Lunt project.
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