Westonbirt Arboretum to start tree replanting plans after grant

Around 5,000 trees were felled in 2021 after they were affected by ash dieback

An arboretum can start planning the replanting of trees affected by a deadly fungus, after receiving £350,000 of funding for the scheme.

The Silk Wood Community Planting Project at Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, will see 9,000 trees planted.

In 2021, 5,000 trees on the site were felled due to Chalara ash dieback.

Westonbirt has received £249,359 from the National Lottery for the project and £100,8600 from other charities.

'So excited'

It has a target of £750,000 and Westonbirt project manager Oscar Adams said he was "thrilled" by the support the project had received so far.

He said: "We can now recruit project staff and plan our start on the restoration of Silk Wood.

"We are so excited to be making this a community project and are looking forward to working with volunteers, local community groups and schools to design, plant and restore this beautiful woodland for future generations."

Oscar Adams said he was looking forward to restoring the lost woodland area with volunteers

Forestry England, which manages the arboretum, says the project will work with the local community, rather than contractors, on replanting over the next three years.

It will also ask young people, people from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with neurodiverse conditions, and people of different ethnicities to help with design, selection of trees, ground clearing and preparation, tree planting and future care.

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