MORE than 1,500 trees have been planted across Oxford as part of the city’s celebrations of National Tree Week.

Community groups across the city were out in force over the weekend to plant trees in Cutteslowe, Rose Hill and Barton.

In Cutteslowe Park, hundreds of native trees such as hazel, wild cherry and hawthorn were planted on Friday afternoon to attract wildlife and make the park a nicer place.

The event was organised by Oxford City Council with the group Low Carbon Oxford North.

Oxford Mail:

  • Rachael Peace and Sandra Palmer from Low Carbon Barton planting 100 trees at Bonney Banks Park, Barton

Beechcroft Road resident Brenda Boardman, of the low carbon group, said: “We did it with the pupils from Cutteslowe Primary School and we planted about 600 trees which were all native English species.

“The trees take carbon out of the atmosphere, which is a tiny step in the right direction.

“Hopefully it will also make the park a nicer place.

“The children all understood what was going on and got dreadfully excited about it.”

Oxford Mail:

  • Young trees are planted in Cutteslowe Park as part of a bid to”rewild” part of it. Pictured are Brenda Boardman from Low Carbon Oxford North and Jenny Carr from Oxford City Council

The tree planting events were taking place as part of National Tree Week, an initiative organised by the Tree Council, which Oxford City Council has recently joined.

Other tree planting events took place in Rose Hill, where volunteers planted trees for a new nature walk on Rose Hill recreation ground, and in Barton, where 40 saplings were planted in Bonney Banks Park.

It is hoped the trees, all native broadleaved species, will grow into a flourishing wood in as little as 10 years and will enrich the environment while creating new homes for wildlife.

Oxford Mail:

  • Harley Weekes, from 22nd Oxford Sea Scouts, at the community tree planting at Rose Hill Recreation Ground

Jenny Carr, from Oxford City Council’s environmental sustainability team, said: “Going out doing something practical is a good way to engage people with these issues.

“It was a successful day and we had hundreds of schoolchildren planting trees.”

The trees were provided for free by the Woodland Trust.