Over the winter 300,000 trees will have been planted as part of HS2’s Green Corridor programme.
This is on top of the 430,000 trees already planted, bringing the total number of tree’s planted, by spring 2021 over 730,000. But this is just the start, with 7 Million trees planned, and many new grasslands, meadows and recreational areas for local communities.
Peter Miller, HS2’s environment director said:
“We are planting more than double the area of woodland than has been affected along the route between Birmingham and London, creating 33 square kilometres of new woodland and wildlife habitat – an area over seven times bigger than Sherwood Forest Nature Reserve… We’re also looking for opportunities to expand the benefits of the green corridor and we encourage local communities to apply for the funding that’s available.”
HS2 funding is being provided for all sorts of independent, environmental projects, aimed at benefiting nature and communities along the planned route. This includes creating new parks, investing in urban green spaces, regenerating canals, and conserving historic environments.
A separate fund has been provided to help local landowners create native, woodlands and restore ancient woodland. £1.25m has been allocated as part of a grant scheme managed by the Forestry Commission, supporting 28 woodland projects.
Image Credits:
- Oak Tree: Unsplash
