New woods for the trees at Stoke Lacy (From Hereford Times)

New woods for the trees at Stoke Lacy

7:00am Saturday 11th February 2012 in Farming By Mark Bowen

A NEW native woodland has been planted at Stoke Lacy with help from the Woodland Trust.

The new 3.5 acre wood comprises 1,300 native trees planted as part of the trust’s MOREwoods scheme.

Julie and Jan-Willem Naerebout planted native species including hawthorn, wild cherry and hazel on their land at Stoke Lacy as a personal project to help nurture it.

In the future they hope to walk their dogs there and provide a sustainable source of wood fuel for their woodburner.

“We were looking to plant the land but felt that it was out of our reach until I discovered the MOREwoods project,”

said Jan.

“Helpful advice from woodland creation advisers on planting and tree selection means that we can now watch the wood grow with a mixture of native trees, many have pretty blossom in spring and provide food for birds and wildlife in winter.

“Everything we needed was delivered in one go and then it was just hard work for a few days.

“It has transformed the land, made it more interesting to walk around and already we are seeing buds forming ready for spring.

“To think in just 10 years it will be a thriving young woodland is amazing.”

The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe, with just 13 per cent woodland cover compared to the European average of 44 per cent.

With only nine per cent of Herefordshire covered by woodland, the need to plant more trees and woods today is urgent.

Anyone with more than an acre of land interested in creating their own wood or shelterbelts can receive advice and possible funding from the Trust.

To find out more about planting trees through the MOREwoods scheme as part of the Jubilee Woods project email morewoods@woodlandtrust.

org.uk, visit jubileewoods.

org.uk or call 0845 293 5689.