The saplings are being made available through the Warwickshire Rural Hub (a partnership funded by Warwick District Council, Stratford District Council, and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council) to any farm located within the boundary of the three local authority areas.

The Free Trees for Farmers scheme is also being supported by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, as well as the Trees Call to Action Project.

Zoe Bell, a Farm Environment Adviser who facilitates the Arden Farm Wildlife Network said:

“We are pleased to be able to offer free trees again this year, particularly now that Stratford District Council are also on board, allowing us to give trees away to more farmers than ever. Last year we gave out more than 14,000 trees, which have provided a huge boost for biodiversity, locked away carbon and enhanced the local landscape.”

Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, Councillor James Kennedy added:

“This scheme is a hugely important part of our district wide tree planting ambitions, and we would very much like to spread the word amongst local farmers and landowners that these trees and hedgerow packs are freely available to them.”  

Various tree packs are available, which allow farmers to find the perfect species mix for their land, including hedgerow packs, fruit tree packs, and woodland packs. Farmers are able to apply for anything from a single tree pack up to hundreds of trees.

The Trees Call to Action Project can also offer practical support for farmers looking to plant on a larger scale where they may need to undertake Environmental Impact Assessments, for example if they want to plant on a woodland scale using the Government’s English Woodland Creation Offer grant.

If your farm falls within the local authority boundaries and you would like to plant trees this coming winter, you can apply online. The deadline for ordering online is Friday 7 July 2023 at 12pm.

The trees will be available for collection from December 2023 and should be planted as soon as possible after being collected.