Newcastle Upon Tyne has joined the international programme, Tree Cities of the World, in recognition of its dedication to growing and maintaining its city’s urban trees.
In the last year North East Community Forest in partnership with Newcastle Council has planted over 20,000 trees and hedgerows. This combined makes up and area of over 24 hectares, the size of almost 40 football pitches says the Council.
According to experts increasing the number of trees in a community can help reduce costs for energy, stormwater management, and erosion control. In addition, inclusion in the programme provides a network of like-minded city leaders in urban forestry to celebrate and share best practices to cultivate greenery in the community.
Cllr Marion Williams, Cabinet Member for a Connected, Clean City, Newcastle City Council said:
“It is fantastic that Newcastle has gained this international recognition for our commitment to creating a cleaner, greener city for both residents and visitors to enjoy. Improving the local environment for our residents, supporting our local wildlife and improving air quality is incredibly important and we look forward to working within this new network.”
Trees for Cities
Environmental charity Trees for Cities is the UK lead for Tree Cities of the World and is a proud partner in helping promote this initiative to local authorities nationwide. The recognition scheme is run globally by the Arbor Day Foundation and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
Roddy Shaw, UK Urban Forest Development Manager said:
“Trees for Cities is delighted to welcome Newcastle as one of the UK’s Tree Cities of the World.
“Having supported tree planting in Newcastle for a number of years, it is fantastic to see the city recognised for its commitment to urban trees.”
To earn Tree Cities of the World recognition, Newcastle showed its commitment by meeting five programme standards:
- – Establish responsibility for the care of trees
- – Set rules to govern the management of forests and trees
- – Maintain an updated inventory or assessment of local tree resources
- – Allocate resources for a tree management plan
- – Hold an annual celebration of trees to educate residents.
Over 14,000 trees this planting season will be planted and maintained by local residents and community groups in Newcastle, embedding ongoing community stewardship into the NECF initiative.
The council has also recently launched a new Community Tree Portal, an online resource where residents can find out about trees managed by the Council. The portal includes the benefits they provide, how they are being managed and their value as community assets.
Details of the Community Tree Portal is available at Trees Dashboard (ezyportal.com)
More information on the program is available here.
This article is based on a Press Release produced by Newcastle City Council.
