RESIDENTS are being invited to help turn Colchester green as part of a public tree planting project.

Colchester Council has revealed 15 planting dates for the third year of the Colchester Woodland and Biodiversity Project, beginning in November.

It is now inviting people to get environmentally-friendly and register to come along to several locations across the borough.

Since its launch in 2019, the project has seen more than 28,000 trees planted across the borough and despite the record-breaking dry and spring and summer in 2020, the majority of these are established and flourishing.

The project has also seen the mowing regime changed in several areas to support biodiversity, a commitment to the reduction of Glyphosate-based weed killer, and encouraging residents and organisations to take part in seed-gathering activity and to grow their own trees for the future.

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Starting on November 27 and running until February 12, areas for planting have been agreed by ward councillors and the trees will be supplied by the Woodland Trust.

Simon Crow, Colchester councillor responsible for businesses and resources, said: “The Colchester Woodland and Biodiversity Project is committed to preserving trees, helping them to grow and planting more each year across our green spaces.

“We aim to do this in consultation with partners, councillors, and residents, ensuring we continue to focus on wider biodiversity, such as wildflowers and the needs of insects, as we plant.

“We were unable to open up tree planting events to the public last year, due to Covid restrictions, so this year we want businesses, residents, community groups and schools to get involved in every aspect of the project.

“Our hope is to build a voluntary network to help plant and maintain the trees for a greener future, too.”

The council has also recently launched a Tree Guardian campaign, after discovering several residents have taken it upon themselves to look after newly-planted trees in their area, with the aim of developing greener places by caring for new areas of woodland as they grow.

For more information, visit bit.ly/3EJ0Fyu.