Thousands of trees planted in forest project

NPNL says the North Pennines is "one of the least wooded areas of England"

Almost 20,000 trees and shrubs have been planted in efforts to improve woodland in the North Pennines.

North Pennines National Landscape (NPNL) said the three-year project involved working with about 120 landowners to identify 761 acres (308 hectares) as suitable for trees.

The project focused on small woodlands and low-density wood pasture, with scrub and scattered canopy trees to work alongside farming systems, NPNL said.

NPNL said the North Pennines was "one of the least wooded areas of England" and the initiative looked to "bridge the gap" between the existing Great Northumberland National Forest and the Northern Forest.

The North Pennines covers much of the west of County Durham together with parts of Northumberland and Cumbria, according to Durham Landscapes.

The NPNL said it worked with 37 landowners to secure funding for tree planting spanning 128 acres

The NPNL said it worked with 37 landowners to secure funding for tree planting spanning 128 acres (52 hectares).

NPNL advised the landowners to plant different species of native trees, including aspen, wild cherry and crab apple, and shrub such as blackthorn.

The group said it also identified areas where tree planting would have the least negative effect on wading bird populations, which rely on open landscapes.

NPNL's Sarah Tooze said: "The project focused on the kinds of tree cover - small scale woodlands and low-density wood pasture with scrub and scattered canopy trees - which work alongside nature friendly farming systems and will improve the landscape for biodiversity and other public goods."