Love Where You Are - Back Garden Forest

Aim: Providing local trees to local people to help support the local environment

Forest for Cornwall is an initiative aiming to create an additional 8,000 hectares of tree canopy cover by 2030. We work with residents, businesses, and communities across the county to plant the right trees in the right places, tackling the climate and ecological emergency.

Back Garden Forest

The Back Garden Forest project provides free trees to Cornish communities to plant in their gardens, increasing local canopy cover and enhancing urban biodiversity.

Why It Matters: 

The average canopy cover in Cornwall by ward is 12.2%, below the national average of 14.2% and the recommended minimum of 20% (15% in coastal areas). 

Urban trees provide crucial environmental benefits, including improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effect, enhanced stormwater management, increased biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. Areas with low tree canopy cover do not receive these benefits to the same extent, nor do they provide the necessary habitats and wildlife corridors for nature to thrive.

The Vision:

Imagine a Cornwall where every garden contributes to a greener, healthier environment. With your support, the Back Garden Forest project will distribute small trees to residents in areas with low canopy cover and high population density. This initiative will empower local people to become stewards of their environment, collectively increasing canopy cover and providing essential ecosystem services.

Environmental Impact:

Your funding will help the project:

• Distribute free trees to residents: Increasing local canopy cover and enhancing urban biodiversity.
• Improve air quality and reduce urban heat: Trees absorb pollutants and provide shade, cooling urban areas.
• Enhance stormwater management: Trees reduce runoff, helping to manage stormwater.
• Support wildlife: Trees provide habitats and wildlife corridors, promoting biodiversity.
• Sequester carbon: Trees capture carbon, helping to mitigate climate change.

Social Benefits:

The Back Garden Forest project will have significant social benefits:

• Community Engagement and Empowerment: Involving residents in tree planting fosters a sense of ownership and stewardship, improving their sense of place and pride in their local area.
• Health and Wellbeing: Planting trees close to where people live enhances mental and physical health, reduces pollution, and makes urban areas more beautiful.
• Resilience Building: Supporting residents to build resilience within urban communities against environmental threats.
• Educational Opportunities: Engaging residents in environmental initiatives raises awareness and promotes long-term environmental stewardship.

Tree Giveaway Events:

This project will be delivered through the Forest for Cornwall team. The project consists of two tree giveaways at different locations:

• Newquay 
• St Agnes and Perranporth 

In the run up to each event there will be a communications campaign to raise the profile of the tree giveaway. Members of the public will then be invited to a set location to pick up their tree and their tree care instructions. Each event lasts approximately half a day. 

Sponsoring a tree giveaway is a great way to embed yourself into the heart of the community and it gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your businesses values.

Funding method

All or nothing – this project will only receive pledges if it reaches its target of £3,000 by 17th July 2025 at 10:49am