NEWS: Branching out from My Tree Our Forest

Volunteers from Blaen Bran community woodland have played an active part in a new tree planting initiative based in Torfaen, SE Wales. The ‘Branching Out’ project brings together key officers from Torfaen Council and leads from the local housing association, Bron Afon Community Housing to identify small areas of land where trees could be planted,

This followed Blaen Bran Community Woodland (BBCW) involvement in the pilot phase of the ‘My Tree, Our Forest’ Welsh Government project, as several of those collecting trees had asked about whether there might be communal spaces where trees could be planted.  

BBCW and Llais y Goedwig board member, Dave Williams, was elected as a Torfaen councillor in May 2022, and in this role he was able to bring together different councillor colleagues to support this initiative. BBCW volunteer Kris Thobroe had been successful in getting a paid position in the Torfaen Council countryside team, so he was willing and able to ‘check out’ potential sites on the ground. Bron Afon community housing were keen to see more trees in community areas – so it was a ‘win, win’ opportunity – with 30 initial sites identified, and now more being nominated by members of the public.

Definitely a case of some branching out from My Tree, Our Forest!