Forth Climate Forest Community Tree Days
A fruit and nut tree giveaway this March demonstrates a tasty way to green our places more fairly.
FEL Scotland is partnering with Forth Climate Forest to give away 200 fruit and nut trees to high priority areas of the Forth Valley. Residents and community groups in Grangemouth and Alloa are being offered the opportunity to request one (or more) of the 100 trees that Forth Climate Forest has set aside for their neighbourhoods.
Grangemouth and Alloa have been identified as places where the planting of more trees is a priority, and we think adding apple, pear plum and even walnut trees into the mix is a tasty way to increase the benefits trees can bring to these areas.
A handy tool called the Tree Equity Score means anyone across the country can check if the number of trees in their urban area meets the minimum standard. The closer to 100 the score, the more fairly the benefits that trees bring to our towns and cities is being felt. The lower the score, the more urgent the need is to redress the balance. Grangemouth and Alloa both have scores below 50, marking them out as high priority among the greener parts of Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.
Trees clean our air, offer shade on hot days and support our physical and mental health. In a changing climate, they help reduce flooding, support greater biodiversity in our green spaces and cool our rivers and waterways protecting fish and helping our wildlife. Planting orchards, or even a fruit tree or two in a back garden, provides fresh, seasonal nutritious produce which can be shared between community neighbours family and friends. Trees create spaces people can come together and want to linger in, benefitting local businesses.
These 200 fruit and nut trees, when combined with the tree planting that FEL is also supporting along cycle routes to schools, and not forgetting the Trees for Goals project involving sports teams impacted by flooded pitches, represents a fantastic opportunity for communities to get involved, at a grass roots level, with the creation of the Forth climate forest – a 10 year project to plant 16 million trees to benefit over 300,000 residents.
Residents and community groups in Grangemouth and Alloa have until 13 March to respond to a short survey form to request their free fruit trees. Register your interest here.
FEL will be in touch to let all respondents know if their request has been successful. People offered fruit trees will be invited to collect them from Hawkhill Community Centre (Alloa) on 27 March, between 1 and 3pm or 4 and 6pm or from Kersiebank Community Centre 31 March 12 – 2pm or 4:30-6:30pm.
These Tree Days will include helpful advice and practical demonstrations. All trees come with all the kit necessary to ensure they can be successfully planted.
