COASTAL TOWNS AND CITIES
Trees Breathe Life is a new campaign from Trees for Cities promoting the transformational impact urban trees bring to us all, and how they can 'Breathe New Life' into urban communities.
For the 80% of the UK population who live in towns and cities, trees create green spaces which improve the quality of our urban environments. They give us a sense of belonging, wellbeing, calmness and a vital connection to nature.
Yet, in many of our coastal towns and cities, these environments are threatened like never before. Against a national target of 15% canopy cover for coastal areas, some are now as low as 4%.
Trees breathe new life into our towns and cities. They create healthier, happier environments. They unify communities and inspire positive action for the disengaged. They can create new green jobs and skills and regenerate health and wealth for today and tomorrow.
We want our coastal towns to experience this transformational power. Planting just one tree starts a positive ripple effect through a community that spans generations… Our aim is to plant thousands.
IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE.
4%
Some seaside areas see a tree canopy cover of just 4%, compared to a national target of 15% for coastal towns.
TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Check out our campaign downloads, including our brochure, info flyer and tree planting strategy, to learn more about the origins of this campaign and our coastal planting work in action!
Get your coastal resources
Coastal Tree Planting Guide
Check out our new tree planting guide for coastal towns and cities, developed by Forest Research and Trees for Cities specifically for coastal Local Authorities!
Free guide for local authoritiesMany of the UK's coastal towns and cities we work with have very few trees, which can lead to grey environments that are prone to flooding. Coastal trees face a harsh growing environment, battered by salt-laden wind and a strong summer sun. They’re also particularly vulnerable to tree pests and disease.
Local authorities often lack the capacity and resources to increase and improve their urban trees and woodland, but Trees for Cities can help! Over the last 18 months, we have been working with Local Authorities, partners and communities to plant 55,000 trees in seven coastal locations.
We're on a mission to continue breathing new life into as many areas that we can but we need your help!
GET INVOLVED
Trees can’t grow without sunlight, soil and water. Likewise, our ongoing work to transform urban communities and breathe new life into towns and cities can’t evolve without three vital components: Land, Funding and You!
Register your interest below and check out how you can get involved in helping develop more urban forests.
OUR WORK IN COASTAL TOWNS AND CITIES
Our 2021-2022 tree planting initiative Forgotten Places: Greening Coastal Towns and Cities saw a green revolution in Bexhill, Brighton, Great Yarmouth, Hull, Portsmouth, Ramsgate and Stockton-On-Tees.
In total, over 55,000 trees were planted across 83 locations in these 7 seaside areas and were delivered through community tree planting events that engaged local communities with nature and inspired a new generation to plant, protect and promote urban trees.
In the first phase of this campaign, we have seen the huge impact that greening coastal towns and cities has on local communities. People were able to come together for community planting days, talk to their local council about tree planting, learn tree-related skills through upskilling opportunities, and of course, learn how to plant urban trees!
By investing in the coastal green economy, we are providing communities with luscious green spaces for everyone to enjoy and equipping towns and cities with air-cleaning green machines for sustainable futures.
Check out our wrap-up video on one of the community planting days held in Bexhill, in December 2022. Watch our incredible Bexhill volunteers Breathe New Life into their coastal city!
LAND - Are you a Local Authority or landowner?
Without the physical space for trees to grow, our work would be impossible, so we’re always on the lookout for more places to plant. If you’re a landowner based in one of the areas where we’re hosting a planting day, we would love to hear from you.
Land owners and local authorities in coastal areas can also download an exclusive Tree Planting Guide!
GET IN TOUCH
FUNDING - Looking to fund a tree planting project?
One thing that makes our work so unique is that it yields rewards that don’t cost the public a thing to appreciate. Sadly, those benefits don’t come for free. From local authority funding to donations from businesses who want to give something back to their community, we would greatly appreciate any financial assistance that organisations can offer.
If you are a funder or local business, register your interest to support future projects!
YOU - Take action and Breathe new life today!
Trees might be our heart, but people are the soul of Trees for Cities. Whether you want to help us make connections with local authorities, donate, are a member of an environmental group, or simply participate in one of our planting days, our door is always open to new recruits.
Join our movement and let us know which coastal town you're from and if you want to see more trees in our towns and cities! You can also share the campaign on our social media channels at @TreesforCities.
Special thanks to the Green Recovery Challenge Fund for providing us with funding to increase tree cover in coastal cities and towns with lower-than-average tree canopy cover and high levels of socio-economic deprivation.
Donate to Trees for Cities and together we can help cities grow into greener, cleaner and healthier places for people to live and work worldwide.
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