Humber Forest has planted trees at 515 sites across Hull, East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire
The Humber Forest has planted its millionth tree at a ceremony in West Park, in Goole(Image: East Riding of Yorkshire Council)
The Humber Forest has planted its millionth tree at a ceremony in West Park, in Goole. The event was attended by Goole councillors Anne Handley and Nick Coultish, as well as Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding, Jim Dick, and Goole Town Mayor, James Coopers.
Mr Dick, the Crown’s representative in the county, attended to commemorate the planting of an oak tree in the park in 1933, by Prince George, Duke of Kent. Humber Forest works with farmers, landowners, businesses and communities, and provides grants to cover up to 100 per cent of funding for planting and associated costs, as well as for at least five years of establishment.
Larger sites may be eligible for 15 years of establishment and ecosystem service payments. These trees can play a vital role in creating habitats for wildlife, improving community spaces, reducing soil erosion and flooding, and improving air quality.
Since its launch in 2022, the Humber Forest has planted trees at 515 sites across Hull, East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire. This includes over 200 schemes on sites with full or partial public access, including schools, parks, sports pitches and amenity grasslands.
An estimated 6,000 volunteers have been involved with planting the trees, across the region, from local businesses, community groups and schools. Together they have planted 375 hectares of tree, including almost 137km (85 miles) of hedgerow – the equivalent distance from Bridlington to Sheffield.
Humber Forest is supported by Defra, as the community forest for Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. It is one of 15 community forests across England and is part of the larger Northern Forest that stretches from Liverpool to the Yorkshire Coast. East Riding Council is the accountable body for the Humber Forest.
The planting in Goole also aligns with the bicentennial celebrations, with the town marking its 200th anniversary through a series of public events. Cllr Paul West, East Riding cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “This is a great achievement and we’re proud to support the Humber Forest to reach a fantastic million trees planted.
“These trees play a key role in improving biodiversity, mitigating flooding and reducing air pollution for residents. We highly encourage interested landowners to get in touch with the Humber Forest team to see how they can become involved.”
Leah Cave, Humber Forest partnership manager, said: “We’re proud to support communities across Hull, East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire, and it’s great to reach this milestone. We look forward to expanding the Humber Forest in years to come, and spreading the benefits it provides to the environment and local communities.”
The Humber Forest funds both large and small projects and is eager to hear from any landowners who are interested in planting trees or hedgerow on their land. It can be contacted at humber.forest@eastriding.gov.uk
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