National Tree Week (28 November to 6 December 2020) is the UK's largest tree celebration, marking the start of the winter tree planting season. This year Frodsham Root Network wants to hear about your tree planting plans!

National Tree Week was initiated by The Tree Council in March 1975 to support national replanting of trees after the outbreak of Dutch elm disease.

It is fitting then, that this week the Hob Hey Wood Friends Group announced the upcoming planting of a disease resistant Elm tree, to support a rare colony of white-letter hairstreak butterflies that have been found in the wood.

The volunteers at Hob Hey will also be planting 220 hedgerow trees in the wood, to help mark the path for visitors and provide protection for the wildlife that calls the wood home. At Townfield Lane Allotments, there are also plans to plant oak trees to help commemorate the outbreak of COVID-19.

Will Moran, from Townfield Lane Allotments in Frodsham said "We have applied for five oak tree saplings from Save The Oaks. A symbol of strength and endurance, it seems a particularly fitting tree to plant at the moment. These are for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

Fruit trees, hedges and other garden trees provide much needed homes for a wide range of wildlife and give us a vital connection to our natural world. Depending on the type of tree and where they are planted, they can also help clean the air we breathe and reduce the risk of flooding.

At Frodsham Root Network, we want to celebrate all the trees being planted in Frodsham this winter, whether it's in your garden, a community space or on agricultural land.

Winter can be a difficult time for a lot of people, especially at the moment, so it is a good opportunity to remember that it is a time for putting down roots and building something for the future.

Frodsham Root Network is also working with The Mersey Forest to provide free tree saplings to landowners. For larger tree planting schemes, The Mersey Forest will be able to provide support with environmental impact assessment, scheme design and applying for funds where available.

Contact Sian on [email protected] to share your planting plans or apply for free saplings, or find @frodshamroots on social media.