Forest for Cornwall Celebrates Five Years with 1.6 Million Trees Planted Across Nearly 1,000 Locations

Forest for Cornwall marks five years with new map and over 1.6 million trees planted

More than 1.6 million trees have now been planted across Cornwall as part of the Forest for Cornwall, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this summer.

Launched in 2019 by Cornwall Council, the Forest for Cornwall has seen residents, farmers, landholders, community groups and organisations come together to boost tree cover across the region. Nearly 1,000 planting sites are now featured on a new online map, showcasing just how many corners of Cornwall have benefited.

Trees in gardens, farms and streets

The planting has taken place in all sorts of settings, from farms and back gardens to schools, parks and villages.

Highlights include:

• Over 15,000 free trees given to residents through the Back Garden Forest scheme

• 10,000 trees planted at Cornhill farm near Camborne as shelter, fodder crops and hedgerows

• 54 trees planted by Camborne residents in their gardens, and 10 in the streets, through Trees for Streets

• 1.3 hectares of fruit and nut orchards at the National Trust’s Cotehele site

• 10 hectares of shelter trees at Petalon, a cut flower business near Newquay

• 500 trees planted at Mora Farm near Liskeard to help reduce water run-off and provide wind breaks

• 135 trees and hedging planted by residents at Threemilestone Community Orchard

• 5,500 trees planted at Trenow Farm near Penzance for agroforestry

Helping Cornwall tackle climate change

The Forest for Cornwall is a key part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Strategy, one of the first plans in the country to set out how to reverse the decline of nature and bring wildlife back from the brink.

Cllr Loic Rich, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said:

“We’re celebrating an incredible five years of Forest for Cornwall and we want to say a huge thank you to all of you who have got involved so far and to all those to come.

“Not only has this scheme brought benefits for nature recovery, absorbed carbon emissions and improved flooding resilience in many locations across Cornwall, it has also had a tangible effect on improving the immediate environment where people live with many trees being planted near people’s homes and in amenity spaces.

“We have many more trees planned in the pipeline for this winter and if you haven’t already got involved, get in touch with our Forest for Cornwall for lots of tips and advice on planting and looking after trees whether you’re a farmer or organisation or individual.”

Keeping young trees alive during dry weather

Cornwall has just had one of the driest springs on record. If you planted trees last winter, the next 12 to 36 months are critical as young trees adapt, develop roots and get established.

The Forestry Commission has shared some useful advice on caring for new trees in dry conditions:
👉 How to help young trees survive prolonged hot dry weather

You can also explore the new Forest for Cornwall planting map to see where trees have gone in your area.