Help plant a forest of 100,000 trees this winter

Back in May, we bought 422 acre Wick Farm with a grand plan: to create Lower Chew Forest, the South West’s largest new woodland in a generation. Generous crowdfunder donations from our supporters made this purchase possible.

Now we have a huge opportunity to take positive action for nature against climate change. 

We’ve got a team of 1,200 amazing volunteers ready to get planting.

But we need your help to get trees in the ground this winter and make Lower Chew Forest a reality.

It’s a critical time for the project. We’ve committed to establish up to 100,000 trees over two winters. The planting season for trees is short. If we don’t start this winter, it will have to wait another year. 

Lower Chew Forest will mean taking immediate action against the effect of climate change, improving biodiversity, reducing the risk of local flooding. It will be a beautiful place for local communities and future generations to appreciate. 

So help us make Lower Chew Forest a reality. Let’s mobilise our team of 1,200 volunteers. Let’s get trees in the ground. Help us leave a positive legacy for future generations, starting now.

You can take immediate, positive action on climate change and nature recovery by:

• Donating whatever you can to help us get planting this winter
• Sharing this page with your friends
• Asking your employer to support us
• Getting in touch via this form if you would like to make a business donation starting from £1,500.
• Getting in touch via this form if you are an individual looking to donate over £10,000 as part of a partnership opportunity.  
  

Why is Lower Chew Forest important?

The Bristol-Avon catchment area has lost most of its woodland and is now one of the least forested parts of the UK.

The scale of this woodland project is immense, and one of major significance for nature recovery in the region. And it’s not all trees! Lower Chew Forest will be a mosaic of habitats including wetlands and species rich grassland. It will recreate miles of lost hedgerows.

As it grows, this new woodland will absorb thousands tonnes of carbon to help tackle the climate emergency. It will have a huge impact on biodiversity, creating new homes for wildlife.

Government analysis by the Environment Agency shows this new woodland, along with leaky dams and wetland habitat, would help reduce downstream flooding in local villages, Keynsham, and Bristol by slowing the movement of heavy rainfall.

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Local communities are a key part of our plans. As well as our incredible volunteers, we will be hosting year-round community events at Lower Chew Forest, enabling people to enjoy, learn and connect with nature.

What exactly will be funded?

Phase one of the Lower Chew Forest project earlier in the year was about buying Wick Farm and the 422 acres of land. We do this to ensure that any woodland we create is new, that it will be well maintained and around for generations to come.

Now we’re looking at establishing the forest, getting trees in the ground. For an area the size of 265 football pitches, that’s a huge task and requires a lot of funding.

With the support of local partners and supporters, we’re so nearly there in raising the total we need. But we need your help to get us over the line.

These funds will go towards getting trees in the ground and everything that our amazing volunteers will need to do that; mulch matts, tree guards, pegs, seed, equipment, making improvements to the site, contractors (where there are time constraints), and of course, trees! 

What is different about ANT and our model?

For tree planting to make a difference, long-term care is vital. Trees require decades of careful management until those benefits are really maximised. That’s why we not only buy our land but plan for the long term but plan for those trees to be looked after.

Because of this care, the trees in our projects have a very high survival rate - over 90% compared to an average of 60-70%. This means your donations will be put to good use.

Tree species are chosen based on site conditions now and what the site and climate might be like in the future. We use climate modelling tools to assess species suitability to 2080. 

Our plans work around existing habitats and complement them. We don’t plan our projects in isolation. We work with local partners and within local nature recovery strategies to maximise the benefits of nature recovery at a regional scale. 

Donate today and leave a legacy for future donations

Please give what you can to start getting trees in the ground this winter. We have just one month to hit our target but together we can make the dream of Lower Chew Forest a reality!

Thank you.