Charity launches crowdfunder to create 'biggest new woodland in a generation' near Bristol

Avon Needs Trees, a charity focusing on creating new, permanent woodland throughout the Bristol-Avon catchment to fight the climate and ecological emergencies, is planning to create the South West's biggest new woodland in a generation.

The proposed Lower Chew Forest would be bigger than Leigh Woods or the Downs (Clifton and Durdham) in Bristol, and 12 times the size of Royal Victoria Park in Bath.

Some 420 acres of land between Bristol and Bath would be planted with 100,000 native trees in the area currently covered by Wick Farm.

However, after identifying grant funds and impact-focused loans, a further £100,000 would be needed for the project to be completed which is why they are launching a crowdfunder to invite individuals, schools and businesses to get involved and give whatever they can to help make this vital project happen.

Those who donate will be invited to sponsor a 3x3 m block of land and will receive a 'what3words' location for the patch they have sponsored.

Dave Wood, CEO of Avon Needs Trees said: "When Wick Farm came onto the market we knew we had to act. It’s rare for such a large amount of land to come up in one go, particularly somewhere like Compton Dando which is so close to Bristol and Bath, and we know that biodiversity recovery is far more effective across a large area.

"It really is the biggest opportunity in a generation for us to turn around the critically low percentage of woodland cover in our region, and create a forest-sized woodland.

"We have just 7.8% woodland cover in the West of England, compared to 13.2% average across the whole of the UK. The benefits of increasing this cover include helping to mitigate climate change, improving biodiversity connectivity and offering a place for people to volunteer, learn and connect with nature. “With these kinds of projects, donors sometimes say they’d really like to know where exactly their money will go.

“With the Lower Chew Forest, they’ll be able to know precisely where the trees they’ve helped fund will be. They will be able to come and see the trees and even help to plant them. So this will be a huge new woodland created for the people, by the people.”