Cheshire Association of Local Councils

The Mersey Forest reaches a major milestone

2019 marks 25 years since the Plan for The Mersey Forest was approved by government. When we began, the area was still recovering from the recession and industrial decline of the 1980s, and blighted by derelict land. Today, much of that land is now community woodland, providing new areas of open access for hundreds of thousands of people.

There are too many highlights to mention, but here's some that I am most proud of:
-We have planted over 9 million trees

We have achieved three times more tree planting than the England average

We have created over 3,000 hectares of woodland — that's the same as 4,322 full-sized football pitches, or 24,000 Olympic swimming pools

We've worked with more than half the schools in Merseyside and North Cheshire

65% of people say they have noticed that their environment has improved because of our work

The 9 million trees we have planted have absorbed 524,574 tonnes of carbon dioxide — a clear impact on climate change

Our 25 year anniversary campaign launch coincided with a pop-up forest in Liverpool's Williamson Square and a visit from Sir William Worsley, the UK's Tree Champion. You can read more about it here:

https://merseyforest.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=19217ce33f76f269a76a5a4ad&id=2fdddac03c&e=d657187b4b

25 years ago there was a real sense of urgency about the need to tackle the scars on our post-industrial landscape and use woodlands to help change perceptions of Merseyside and north Cheshire. Now looking ahead, there's that same sense of urgency about how we can plant more trees to help tackle the climate crisis. Now, we need our supporters more than ever.

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The Mersey Forest reaches a major milestone