EAGLE-EYED drivers may have noticed words appearing on a hillside near the A465 between Hereford and Abergavenny.

The Welsh phrase “daw eto ddail ar fryn” cut into bracken on Bryn Arw near the Herefordshire-Monmouthshire border translates as “again leaves come on a hill”.

“Stump up for trees” will also be cut on the hill, which is in the shadow of the Sugar Loaf.

The idea for the 300-metre message came from Welsh artist Mick Petts, who wants to raise the profile of a project to plant one million trees in the area.

Robert Penn and Keith Powell head up the Stump Up For Trees group, which in March wants to plant a million trees in the Brecon Beacons National Park area.

Mr Penn said: “Keith Powell’s family farm is on the other side of the hill from the A465 and he’s a seventh generation Black Mountains farmer and vet.

“He’s been planting trees for a long time now and had slightly run out of land to plant them a few years ago.”

Mr Penn said that given the shortage of appropriate land, it was agreed with the local commoners’ association that trees could be planted on the hill.

But in order to do so, bracken needed to be cut back so that about 140,000 trees can be planted next winter. In the meantime, the idea of the huge lettering promoting the campaign was born.

The scheme has now grown, with the aim to plant one million trees around the national park.

It has been four years in development with funding from the Welsh Government, through the Glastir Woodland Creation Scheme. The Woodland Trust in Wales has also been a key partner.

Mr Penn added: “Trees give life. It’s hard to overstate their benefit.

“Trees provide wildlife habitat, food, medicine, shade, sustainable timber, improved air quality, natural flood management and healthier soil.

“Most importantly in today’s urgent debate about climate change, trees sequester carbon. They mitigate climate change and tree planting is now recognised as one of the best ways to tackle this global crisis.

“We just have to get on with it.”