Merton Council has reached its ambitious target to plant 10,000 new trees with the support of partners and hundreds of volunteers, in one of the borough’s biggest ever tree-planting years.
The new trees will benefit the borough by increasing our tree canopy, biodiversity and helping to mitigate some of the effects of climate change.
To mark the 10,000 Trees project, Council Leader Councillor Ross Garrod planted an Elm tree in Rowan Recreation Ground, Longthornton, with Cabinet Member for Local Environment, Green Spaces and Climate Change Councillor Natasha Irons, and students from Gorringe Park Primary School.
The tree is part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative and will also support the effort to revive the Elm population following Dutch Elm disease.
Pupils from Gorringe Park Primary School’s Eco-Committee got stuck in with wildflower seeding to help create a small meadow at the recreation ground.
Thank you to our partners in the 10,000 Trees project:
The Queen’s Green Canopy – under the initiative, there are 3,000 trees to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee and every child born in the borough in 2022, as well as commemorative trees in each of Merton’s 20 wards
The Urban Tree Challenge – part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund, there are more trees in a further 28 parks across Merton
Trees for Cities Urban Tree Planting Fund – there are 6,000 whips and 12 standard trees in a community woodland in Cranmer Green
Trees for Streets Tree Sponsorship Scheme – supported by Mayor of London, the scheme allows individuals and businesses to sponsor street tree planting in the borough.
Leader of Merton Council Councillor Ross Garrod said:
“One of our ambitions as a council is to build a sustainable future for Merton – and our trees are key to that.
“I want to thank everyone who has played a part in reaching this milestone – it wouldn’t have been possible without the hundreds of volunteers who are helping to make our borough a greener place to live.”
Cabinet Member for Local Environment, Green Spaces and Climate Change Councillor Natasha Irons said:
“I am so proud of Merton’s work to plant 10,000 trees over the last year – it’s been made possible by working with new partners and attracting over £75,000 of external investment
“Thank you to The Queen’s Green Canopy, the Mayor of London’s Trees for Cities, the Urban Tree Challenge, and Trees for Streets for their support. And, thank you to everyone who has volunteered their time and effort to help us reach our target and nurture trees.
“This is just the start – we’ve got a lot more to do to reach our goal of increasing Merton’s tree canopy by 10 percent by 2050.
“That means planting more trees, but also working hard to take care of the trees we already have so that we can enjoy them for years to come.”
