MORE than 3,300 trees have been planted in Wellington’s Green Corridor as part of a local planting scheme.

Over the course of eight planting days between November 2024 and March of this year, the people of Wellington and Rockwell Green successfully planted the trees while surpassing the goal of 3,000.

On Saturday, March 22, the last scheduled public tree planting day took place as part of a project developed by Wellington Town Council and the Woodland Trust last year.

In December 2024, the two entered into an ambitious agreement to plant more than 3,000 trees and shrubs in a 64-acre area of land known as The Green Corridor as part of the Trust’s Woodland Creation Scheme.

Together, the groups planted trees across two hectares of the green corridor in six different areas. Trees planted include, Oak, Alder, Beech, Crab Apple, Wild Cherry, Field Maple and Goat Willow, complemented by shrubs such as Spindle, Hazel, Hawthorn and Elder.

According to the Woodland Trust, these new trees complement the existing habitats of the green corridor, have increased biodiversity and are ensuring that Wellington is at the forefront of contributing to delivery of both national and local tree planting targets.

The trees will be recorded on Somerset’s Tree Planting Register, to record their contribution to Somerset Tree Strategy’s ambition of planting 240 hectares of new woodland per year.

Rosie Walker, of the Woodland Trust, said: “It really has been fantastic to see so many people come out to plant in all weathers to get the trees into the ground.

“Thanks to Somerset Council, EDF and the Environment Agency who sent their staff along to additional planting days. On our last public planting day, the fantastic local public planted more than 300 trees.

“Some of the most memorable moments were when people came across us planting and joined in on the spur of the moment because they wanted to get involved.

“Thank you, people of Wellington and Rockwell Green. You really have ‘done a thing’.”

Cllr Janet Lloyd, Mayor of Wellington, said: “After agreeing to work with the Woodland Trust on the very ambitious project to plant 3,000 trees in our Green Corridor during the winter planting season, we advertised the sessions and asked for volunteers to help.

“We were overwhelmed with the response that we received and actually on one planting day, we could not accept any more volunteers.

“Unfortunately, due to extremely bad weather we had to cancel one planting day, but despite that, and thanks to our keen army of volunteers, we have now completed the project.

“My sincere thanks go to everyone who has been involved in the project and turned up to plant the trees, not always on bright sunny days and with the grass under foot, quite wet.”

Rosie added: “The trees should look and feel like a new woodland in the next few years, and it will be surprising how quickly the trees will take off. Already the trees are bursting into spring bud.”