Why Do We Need a National Tree Week?

Have you been celebrating National Tree Week? Running from 27th November to the 5th December, it’s the largest yearly tree celebration in the country and marks the beginning of the winter tree planting season. From timber experts like ourselves, to people with a little garden and green thumbs, people all over the UK are getting outside and planting seeds, shrubs, and small trees. But, why do we do this, and what’s the real point of National Tree Week?

What Is National Tree Week?

During National Tree Week, people are encouraged to get outdoors and start planting trees. This can be in their own garden or with a group of volunteers as part of a community project. It’s also a time for spreading awareness about the natural environment around us, with plenty of free webinars from industry experts across a range of topics.

Why Do We Need National Tree Week?

National Tree Week isn’t just about getting your hands green; there’s a lot of reasons why our country and our planet need this yearly celebration. Hedgerows and trees are at the forefront of our fight against climate change. By making an effort every year to plant more, we’ll give our planet more resources to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and reduce global warming, working towards a greener future for everybody – in both senses of the word!

This week also promotes education of the natural world. With amazing webinars on topics like how to plant and take care of different species of tree and sessions with Oxford Botanic Gardens looking at seasonal plants, it’s a free source of information available to anyone and everyone. We should all know more about the natural world around us, and that can easily start with National Tree Week. 

Who can forget that, amongst all the climate positive action and education, we’re also building greener spaces for everyone to enjoy? This year, National Tree Week started out by planting 10,000 trees in Newhall Park, Bradford, and moved on to plant 12,000 trees in London – an impressive feat! After the experiences we’ve had of being stuck inside over the past couple of years, these green spaces are more important than ever for mental and physical health.

How Can You Get Involved?

If you – like us – are keen to get involved with National Tree Week, there are plenty of options. The first and easiest way is to make an impact of your own by planting some greenery where you can. Perhaps you have a garden or even a front step where you can place a small, potted tree or shrub. Or, see if there are any gardening groups in your area that are creating more green spaces and sign your name up to help.

To find out more, take a look at the National Tree Week Planting Guide where you’ll find plenty of information. It may be a little late to join in the webinars, but the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Do Your Bit With Sustainable Timber

If you can’t plant your own tree, you can play your part in helping save our green spaces around the world by buying sustainable timber. Sourced from FSC Certified forests that are managed sustainably, you’ll be certain that the wood you buy isn’t harming the planet. For more information, get in touch with our team today and we’ll be more than happy to answer all of your timber-related questions!