East Cambridgeshire District Council is encouraging everyone to get digging this autumn and winter to help boost tree coverage across the district.

The Council is relaunching is ever-popular Community Orchards programme which gifts free fruit trees, stakes and other essential equipment to parish councils, community groups and schools looking to plant or restore publicly accessible orchards across the district.

It’s hoped enough new orchards can be created to meet our target we set last year of achieving 26 new orchards.

To apply visit: https://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/climate-change/create-orchard

The Council will also be forging ahead with its own tree-planting initiatives.

Thanks to funding of nearly £32,000 received by the Forestry Commission as part of its Local Authority Treescapes Fund, 55 trees will be planted at Ely Country Park, The Dock Car Park in Ely and Bloomsfield, Burwell, to enhance nature and increase the biodiversity value of these sites.

The grant is part of £300,000 secured on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire and East Cambridgeshire District Councils.

A further 35 trees will be planted as part of the Council’s ongoing programme to boost tree coverage across the district.

A year ago, the Council planted 5000 hornbeam trees at Ely Country Park to create the County’s largest tree maze, which as well as being fun and free also captures carbon.

Cllr Julia Huffer, chair of East Cambridgeshire District Council’s Operational Services Committee, said: “In East Cambridgeshire, the fenland nature of our district means we have one of the lowest areas of tree coverage in the country at just 5.6 per cent.  

“Our aim is to maximise tree coverage as much as possible while being mindful of the need to plant the right tree in the right place to help increase biodiversity.

“Planting trees is also a great way of storing carbon and at East Cambridgeshire District Council we are committed to doing everything we can to help reach our target of becoming net carbon zero by 2040.

“Residents, businesses and community groups can support us in that vision by planting their own trees or helping to support our community orchard programme.”

All trees planted between now and next spring can also be added to the digital map created to celebrate the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC).

As well as becoming a historical record of contributions to the QGC in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee, the initiative has been extended to the end of March 2023 to give people the opportunity to plant trees in memoriam to honour Her Majesty.

For more details on how East Cambridgeshire District Council is meeting its Environmental objectives you can view the full Environmental Plan for 2022