CARBON AWARE PRODUCTIONS
CARBON AWARE PRODUCTIONS
CARBON AWARE PLANTING PROJECTS
CARBON AWARE TREE PLANTING SPRING 2022
We are delighted to say that 4500 Carbon Aware trees were planted on 6 Feb 2022 at the Forest of Marston Vale in Bedfordshire.
The Forest of Marston Vale is 61 square miles of land set between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It was a very different place before the Forest of Marston Vale Trust came along. Massive pits had been dug throughout the countryside to supply Stewartby Brickworks with clay, many of which were then filled with waste and became landfill. Tree cover was a pitiful 3%, a third of the national average at the time.
To help the area recover from the effects of these industries, the Government made the area a Community Forest (one of 12 in the UK) in the early 90s. The idea was that planting trees and using woodlands would make life better for people and wildlife as well as the environment. Since then, the Forest Charity has planted an incredible 2 million trees and have transformed the landscape by planting twelve thriving woodlands. They’re working towards 30% tree cover in the whole area which means planting another 5 million trees. We’re chuffed to play a small part in helping them get there.
The Forest of Marston Vale’s community focus is a massive appeal and being just a couple of hours outside London, site visits are both easy and encouraged.
CARBON AWARE TREE PLANTING AUTUMN 2021
In the Autumn 2021, Carbon Aware funded the planting of 2250 indigenous trees including aspen at Alladale Wilderness Reserve.
Aspen is an important species within the broadleaf component of the Scottish pinewoods and the hope of our planting partners at Mossy Earth is to plant 10,000 trees over the next five years. The aim is to help restore Alladale's natural diversity, provide refuge for struggling species like the aspen hoverfly and to establish a favourite food source for beavers in the event of future reintroductions.
Aspen are largely missing from Scotland’s woodland today as a result of various human-induced factors over the centuries, including preferential grazing, felling for iron-ore smelting and being regarded as a ‘non-useful’ species by timber companies.
CARBON AWARE TREE PLANTING SUMMER 2021
In June 2021, 3000 trees funded by Carbon Aware were planted at the stunning Alladale Wilderness Reserve.
Alladale is a key site for re-wilding. It forms part of the great Caledonian Forest which once covered most of Scotland and was filled with historic Scots pine and beautiful broadleaf trees. Centuries of tree felling for timber and farmland has meant this vast forest has been reduced to just 1% of its former range.
Between 2009 and 2012 Paul Lister, owner of Alladale, completed phase one of a project to re-forest the land by planting 920,000 saplings within the estate’s 23,000 acres. Phase two of this project to plant a further 2,000 acres with trees is currently underway.
The regeneration of Alladale’s woodland has paved the way for the successful re-introductucion of red squirrels & wild cat to the area. Details and clips can be seen here. Paul Lister is hoping to be the first location in the UK to re-introduce wolves.
Carbon Aware trees were planted by our partners at Mossy Earth.
