Isle of Man to plant one tree for every person in 2020

The Isle of Man will plant one tree for every person living on the island in 2020. 

The project, which is known as ‘The People’s Wood,’ will contain 85,000 trees and is in support of the government’s commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions.

The ground preparation and tree planting will begin in 2020 and is expected to be completed by late 2021, in order to ensure that the woodland is delivered in the most effective way, an independent project manager with experience in delivering large scale forest planting will be appointed.

The idea is for the seeds to be grown in nurseries both in the Isle of Man and across the UK in order to involve local communities in the process.

The project is funded by both the public and private sectors.

The Isle of Man’s chief minister said: ‘We recognised a climate change emergency and governments must take action.

As one of the measures in place to reach net-zero emissions, the Isle of Man will plant 85,000 trees, one for each of us.

People’s wood will be created with as many locally grown broadleaf trees as possible, such as oak, birch, and hornbeam, becoming a new home for wildlife.

The forest will also be connecting to walking, cycling, and horse riding trails.’

In related news, Lancaster City Council has announced plans to plant a million trees across north Lancashire to help boost the Northern Forest project.

The project – part of The Woodland Trust’s plans to expand the North of England’s woodland cover by 2042 – will bring ‘huge’ benefits to Lancashire including boosting air quality, mitigating flood risk and supporting the rural economy, the council said.

The council plans to plant trees and hedgerows on its own land and will also contact landowners across the district to ask them to provide space for planting.

Cllr Kevin Frea, deputy leader of Lancaster City Council, said: ‘As well as helping us to meet the carbon reduction targets we set on declaring a Climate Emergency, the new Northern Forest will have huge benefits for people and wildlife for many centuries to come.

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