Trees planted in Grangemouth park as part of initiative to plant millions across Forth Valley

Pictured from left to right: Alistair Seaman, Woodland Trust Scotland; Douglas Worrall, Director of Forth Climate Forest, University of Stirling; Alice MacPherson, RSPB; James Stead, RSPB; Claire Gibson, Energy and Climate Change Coordinator, Falkirk Council; Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, Falkirk Council Leader; Josh Thornhill, The Conservation Volunteers; William Martin, Friends of Rannoch Park; Gregor McLeod, The Conservation Volunteers.

Falkirk Council leader Cecil Meiklejohn planted some of the first trees in a new initiative at an event in Rannoch Park, Grangemouth last month.

The Forth Climate Forest will facilitate the planting of 16 million new trees to increase the woodland cover across Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Falkirk council areas. The new trees will help prevent the extremes of flooding and temperatures, purify our air and absorb carbon from the atmosphere, delivering long-term ecological, climate and social benefits.

The tree planting event in Rannoch Park was held in National Tree Week, the UK’s largest annual tree celebration which marks the start of the tree planting season.

Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council, said: “As a council, we are already committed to significantly reducing our carbon footprint in the coming years and this initiative will significantly help us meet our net-zero aspirations.

“Communities will benefit once these corridors are created with them improving the environment, boosting biodiversity and providing more attractive areas for everyone to enjoy.”

Forth Climate Forest will work with local people, community groups, land managers, businesses, environmental charities and public agencies to plant more trees where they are needed the most. Trees will be planted in school grounds, on vacant and derelict land and across parks. Where possible, existing woodlands will be stitched together to create wildlife corridors.

Doug Worrall, director of Forth Climate Forest, said: “Over the next 10 years we aim to plant 16 million trees across Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Falkirk Council areas to help tackle the twin crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss.

“We want to plant these 16 million trees where they are needed most, so that neighbourhoods can cope with extreme weather events, so that there is a network of connected woodlands where wildlife can thrive, and so that we are on track to achieve net zero targets.

“The great thing about tree planting is that everyone can get involved, meaning that everyone can do something positive to fight climate change and help stop the decline of our wildlife.”

Forth Climate Forest is part of Scotland’s International Environment Centre at the University of Stirling.