Thousands of new trees taking root throughout the borough
New trees that will provide food and shelter for native wildlife are now taking root in gardens throughout the borough after more than 1,500 residents collected free saplings in the Tree-mendous Giveaway.
Launched last autumn by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire Forest Partnership, the giveaway offered residents the chance to get up to two free trees to plant in their gardens to help nurture wildlife and absorb carbon to tackle climate change.
In total, more than 3,000 young trees have been collected across three separate events. The last of these took place at the end of January, when council officers were joined by Cabinet Member for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Cllr Chris Tomblin to hand out the last batch of over 800 saplings.
Spindle, guelder rose and blackthorn were among the 11 native species of trees that were up for grabs. Suitable for local soil and weather conditions, these species will help to support the council’s biodiversity strategy by creating new habitats in people’s gardens as they grow.
Cllr Chris Tomblin said: “As these thousands of newly planted saplings grow in coming years, they’ll make a real difference for nature recovery as they create new homes and food sources for native wildlife while also absorbing pollution and capturing carbon to help fight the climate crisis.
”Getting out into the garden and being around plants is also proven to be calming and reduce stress levels, and so these trees will also help to support our residents’ health and wellbeing now and into the future too.
“If you missed our tree giveaway, or if you took part and you’re now curious about what else you can do at home to help our native birds, bees and other wildlife to thrive, I invite you to book a free garden wildlife survey with our Green Team to get top tips for how you can turn your outdoor space into a real haven for nature.”
The council organised the Tree-mendous Giveaway to help communities get involved in tackling the climate crisis and protecting nature, following unanimous calls by councillors to declare a climate emergency in 2019 and an ecological emergency in 2021.
The free trees were provided by Hampshire Forest Partnership, which was set up in 2022 and aims to see one million trees planted across the county as part of an ambitious programme of work by Hampshire County Council to tackle the climate emergency.
Free surveys giving top tips for encouraging wildlife in the garden can be booked at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/garden-survey
More information about Hampshire Forest Partnership’s Million Tree Challenge, including how to get involved, is at www.hants.gov.uk/LandPlanningAndEnvironment/HampshireForestPartnership/get-involved/tree-tracker
