Volunteers join Severn Trent's Commonwealth Games legacy tree planting project
Community volunteers and schoolchildren put their spades into action to help plant trees to create an ecological legacy to mark the region's Commonwealth Games.
More than 7,000 saplings have so far been planted across the Black Country as part of a project led by utility firm Severn Trent Water to develop a carbon neutral corridor.
The latest mission saw work carried out at sites of seven acres off Monmer Lane near Short Heath in Willenhall, and at Ashmore Park, in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, bringing the total acreage of the Commonwealth Forest to 148, with more than 104,000 trees planted at sites across the Midlands.
Pupils from Great Barr's Fortis Academy who attended the Ashmore Park planting day with the school’s eco council while adult volunteers gave their time at the Willenhall site.
Balbir Seimar, who took part in the Willenhall planting day, said: “It’s a great initiative and it’s wonderful to see Severn Trent taking the lead with tree planting – I was pleased to hear when I found out that they were doing this.
“The forests will also help to oxygenate the air and keep us healthy, which is why I decided to sign up and come along.”
Last year, Severn Trent pledged to provide 2,022 acres for the forest bringing urban communities in the Midlands closer to nature and it planted 72 'tiny forests'.
The company's senior environmental engagement manager Miranda De Freston said: “We’re passionate about making a positive impact on the communities and the environment where we live and operate, so we were delighted to see customers join us in planting trees across these two sites.
“These new spaces are about creating an incredible legacy where nature can thrive and flourish. What’s good for nature is good for water, and as the trees mature, they will help store carbon that has been generated from the Games, increasing biodiversity and reducing flood risks.
“I’d like to thank everyone who came to our planting days in Willenhall and Ashmore Park. By the end of this planting season, we hope to have added over 300 acres to our Commonwealth Forest through a mix of community and non-community planting days, which will bring us closer to our 2,022-acre commitment.”
