The 'phase 1' tree planting at our new Community Woodland site at Houghton House has been nominated for a CPRE Bedfordshire Living Countryside Awards 2021!

The Awards celebrate the people and projects making a difference across the county, and benefiting our county’s rural environment and urban greenspaces. We've been nominated under the category Better Places to Live: Recognising projects that make Bedfordshire a better place to live.

Trees make life better, but in the UK we have one of the lowest percentages of tree cover in all of Europe; planting this new Community Woodland is another step towards improvement in your local area.

The woodland will provide a place for local people to relax, walk and offer a space to reconnect with loved ones after a difficult year of lockdowns and restrictions. Access to the natural environment also has a positive effect on our mental and physical wellbeing, including reducing respiratory illness, stress and anxiety. 

It will create richer habitats for wildlife, whilst producing renewable raw materials for building and fuelling a more sustainable, greener future for the local economy. Trees and woodlands are one of the most versatile and valuable natural assets. By harnessing the power of this ‘natural capital’ we’re able to transform landscapes and communities.

And the trees we’ve planted this year will have environmental benefits for decades to come. As they grow each tree will lock up carbon, helping to cool and clean the air around us and slow the rate of climate change. They’ll also mitigate the impacts of climate change that we’re already experiencing, helping protect homes and businesses against issues like the flash floods that impacted much of Bedfordshire in 2020.

Help us get the recognition for our amazing tree planting team - please VOTE for us and our project 'New Community Woodland at Houghton House - Phase 1'