Lincolnshire’s Tree and Hedgerow Giveaway Boosts Biodiversity

Title: Lincolnshire’s Tree and Hedgerow Initiative Promotes Biodiversity

A major campaign to augment biodiversity in Lincolnshire has been launched, offering five thousand trees and plantation packs to create an approximate 16,000ft (5,000m) of hedgerow. Lincolnshire County Council, in partnership with the Woodland Trust, is behind this initiative, seeking to improve the county’s tree canopy which currently falls below the country’s average. The campaign invites farmers, community groups, and various organisations to claim these packs. Wally Grice, the project officer for woodland creation, asserted that these plants are “available to anyone residing in Lincolnshire with the land to utilise them appropriately.”

Currently in its second year, the campaign aligns with Tree Week, pencilled in for 22-30 November. The offerings include one hundred tree packs and an equal number of hedgerow packs. Each pack of trees contains 50 trees, whilst the hedgerow packs comprise a sufficient number of plants for 160ft (50m) of hedgerow. The selection encompasses varieties such as oak and wild cherry trees, alongside hedgerow options like hazel and hawthorn.

This tree plantation campaign is part of a wider plan to increase the tree canopy of Lincolnshire, tackle climate change, and promote wildlife. Grice indicated that Lincolnshire’s tree canopy, standing at merely 4%, is amongst the lowest in the UK, significantly behind the national average of 13%. “We’re endeavouring to improve the tree canopy and bring all the associated benefits to Lincolnshire,” he avowed. Interested individuals, groups, or farmers are urged to apply for a pack, which will be made available for distribution on 27 November at Bardney Dairies.

This article was sourced from original reporting by www.bbc.com and adapted for The Lincoln Post readers.