Crowd fundraiser campaign launched to help plant more trees

A new fundraising campaign has been launched this week to bring more nature into the streets of Brighton and Hove.
Picture: CPREPicture: CPRE
Picture: CPRE

It aim is to plant 1,000 new trees in the city.

The campaign is part of the successful Plant Your Postcode initiative which was launched by The Countryside Charity, CPRE Sussex last year.

The new fundraiser, which goes live today (June 22), aims to raise £2000 to help the city's community groups plant more trees to increase habitat for nature and to improve health and

well-being.

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Penny Hudd from CPRE Sussex, said: "Trees have an enormous value to the environment and our well-being. They provide shade, help regulate the microclimate, support wildlife, reduce air pollution and improve our own mental health and happiness.

"A tree can support hundreds of species of insect and other wildlife; for example, a mature oak tree will support 280 different species of insect."

Due to disease, budget cuts and climate change, Brighton and Hove’s urban trees have been in decline for many years.

"We cannot take our trees for granted," Penny added. "Our urban forest is slowly diminishing and our aim is to halt and reverse this decline because the city is now in real danger of losing its leafy legacy."

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Recent CPRE figures show that more than two thirds of people in the South East (68 per cent) believe that protecting and enhancing greenspaces should be made a higher priority after the lockdown.

Kia Trainor, CPRE director says the lockdown has helped people to appreciate and value the natural world around them and hopes that environmental projects like Plant Your Postcode will

benefit.

"There has been a real surge of love for nature during lockdown," said Kia.

"In Brighton and Hove our street trees are a central part of this – they mitigate climate change, they provide cooling on hot days with shading and they provide a home for wildlife. They are also really good for mental health and well-being."

Penny added: "Any contribution you can make, big or small, will make a difference."

The new Crowdfunder can be found at this link here

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