Eight new micro woodlands will be developed by Westmorland and Furness Council over the next year.

This has been made possible thanks to being allocated a further £50,000 from the Coronation Living Heritage Fund as part of celebrations to mark the King's coronation.

These micro woodlands will be spread across Westmorland and Furness and will include thousands of native trees.

Two sites in Kendal and Barrow have been selected to initiate the project by the end of this month.

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Each of these sites will host around 800 native trees and shrubs.

Micro woodlands are mini forests which are put on degraded land or in urban areas and will be filled with a variety of local trees and shrubs, creating biodiverse woodland habitats.

Offering a good growth and survival rate, these woodlands will provide benefits for people, wildlife, and ecosystem services.

The funding follows last year's £50,000 grant from the same fund, which was used for establishing community orchards across Westmorland and Furness.

The idea is to plant the eight micro woodlands by March 2025.

The council is currently exploring potential planting locations for the remaining six woodlands.

Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council cabinet member for climate and biodiversity, expressed his delight with the council's involvement in the initiative.

He said: "I am delighted that we are able to announce our participation in this initiative which will not only serve as a permanent reminder of His Majesty's Coronation but see our area substantially gain from thousands of trees and shrubs being planted over the next year."

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Councillor Archibald went on to shed light on the importance of trees on our existence and the benefits that these new green spaces will bring.

He said: "Trees are vital to our existence and by creating these new green spaces, we will see a range of benefits both to our natural environment and our local communities; from carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancement and habitat creation, to improving the health and wellbeing of our residents and communities."

With the looming threat of climate change, planting trees across Westmorland and Furness is pivotal in achieving the council's priorities and is part of the greater plan; to plant one tree for every resident, fulfil commitments to climate change, and create a greener, healthier and more resilient Westmorland and Furness.