Great Northumberland Forest facts for kids
The Great Northumberland Forest is a big plan to plant many new trees in the north of England. This project aims to create a huge new forest. It was announced in September 2019. The goal is to plant up to one million trees between 2020 and 2024.
Why Plant a New Forest?
The idea for the Great Northumberland Forest was announced on September 27, 2019. This happened at a big meeting called the Conservative Party Conference. Theresa Villiers, who was a government minister for the environment, shared the news.
This new forest is part of a bigger plan. The plan is to make the United Kingdom "carbon-neutral" by 2050. This means the country would remove as much carbon dioxide from the air as it puts in.
Guy Opperman, a local Member of Parliament, strongly supported the forest idea. He said the new forest would help in several ways:
- It would absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This helps fight climate change.
- It would create more green spaces for people to enjoy.
- It could help start a new industry for wood and timber.
The environmental group Greenpeace liked the plan. However, they also said that even more trees would be needed. They believe 700 million new trees should be planted by 2030.
Where Will the Forest Be Planted?
The plan is to plant up to one million trees in Northumberland. This will cover about 500 hectares (that's about 1,235 acres) of land. The planting will happen between 2020 and Spring 2024.
The forest will have many different types of trees. It won't just be one kind, like the conifer trees used in some other forest projects. This mix of trees helps create a healthier environment.
A new group called the Northumberland Forestry Partnership will be created. This group will help local people, landowners, and environmental groups. They will work together to plan where the new forest will grow.
At first, trees will be planted in three places. These places are either owned by the government or have been bought for the project. After that, the Forestry Partnership will look for more places to plant trees. There are an estimated 120,000 hectares (about 296,500 acres) in the county that could be used for new forests.
The planting started before a big meeting called the UN Climate Change Conference (also known as COP26). This important meeting took place in Glasgow in November 2021.
Images for kids
-
A lime tree planted at Kirkharle on launch day
