The North East Community Forest (NECF) has joined Community Forests across England in celebrating a major national milestone, the planting of the 10 millionth tree through the Government’s national Trees for Climate programme.

In the North East, this milestone was marked with a symbolic and poignant moment – the planting of a Sycamore Gap sapling on Newcastle’s Town Moor on Friday 20^th March.

Grown from seeds collected from the much-loved tree felled in 2023, the sapling forms part of the National Trust’s Rooted in Partnership campaign. The Town Moor, the largest area of protected green space in the city, is cared for by Newcastle City Council and the Freemen of the City.

Its planting programmes have become a focal point for regional climate action, ecological restoration and aim to inspire community involvement and ownership. Over 800 volunteers have spent the equivalent of 107 days supporting the Town Moor planting project to date.

The planting brought together the Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne, the NECF, Newcastle City Council, the National Trust, Northumberland Wildlife Trust (NWT), the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) alongside community volunteers.   Together these partners have supported the planting of over 23,000 trees on the Town Moor, restoring local habitats, building climate resilience and inspiring communities to take an active role in shaping a greener future.

Lloyd Jones, Forest Manager, NECF said: “Marking the national Trees for Climate 10 millionth tree by planting a Sycamore Gap sapling here in Newcastle is a powerful reminder of what communities can achieve when they work together for the landscape they love. This tree is both a symbol of resilience and a commitment to creating a greener, healthier North East England. Through the Trees for Climate programme and the dedication of our partners and volunteers, we’re not just planting trees;  we’re helping shape a more hopeful future for generations to come.”

Nick Atkinson, Vice Chair – Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne commented “As proud custodians of the largest area of Newcastle’s open green spaces, for over 800 years, the ongoing commitment to supporting a greener future for all has been one of our core commitments. Our continued strategic relationship with key partners including the City Council, The North East Community Forest, The Northumberland Wildlife Trust and numerous volunteers have, in recent years, delivered significant ongoing tree and hedgerow planting projects with huge success. The Town Moor is an iconic green space and the opportunity to celebrate the 10 millionth tree milestone with such a high profile tree as a Sycamore Gap sapling is fantastic.

Nikki Crowley, Specialist Delivery Manager for the National Trust said: “Through Rooted in Partnership we want to highlight our ongoing collaboration with incredible partners, work which focusses on improving our natural environment with local people, often in urban green spaces. By planting a Sycamore Gap sapling together as part of the transformation of this iconic North East location we want to offer our communities a living symbol of resilience and shared hope, for a greener healthier future.”

The planting is just the latest event to support the creation of a greener future on the Town Moor.

Since November 2021, almost 28,000 new trees and 4.2km of hedgerow with in-hedge trees have been planted across multiple sites on the Town Moor. These new trees will:

• help mitigate the impacts of climate change in Newcastle

• reduce flood risk

• restore and connect habitats

• improve local biodiversity

• reduce noise pollution from surrounding roads

• create a greener, healthier, and more attractive environment for residents and visitors

This work forms part of a long-term, landscape-scale partnership programme running from 2021 onwards involving multiple environmental organisations and funders.

A significant proportion of the trees planted on the Town Moor have been planted by volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, including schools, universities, families, veterans, disabled volunteers, corporate teams, and community groups. Many volunteers also support ongoing aftercare, demonstrating deep local ownership and long-term commitment.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust and dedicated community volunteers continue to play a central role in delivering this ambitious planting and aftercare programme.

Callum Williams, Communities and Nature Manager, Northumberland Wildlife Trust said:  “It’s fantastic to continue to be involved in the tree planting schemes on the Town Moors, facilitating volunteers and members of the local community to get stuck in. Alongside planting, our volunteers continue to support an invaluable program of maintenance. This ensures that the trees and hedgerows on the Town Moors are not only part of the 10 million planted but go on to be part of 10 million providing benefits for communities and for wildlife.”