Tom White, a regular volunteer for the Restoring Hardknott Forest project, based in the Duddon Valley, is about to undertake a three week long UK-wide tree planting mission. He will visit four woodland restoration projects from Dorset to the Scottish Highlands, including a visit to Hardknott Forest later this month.
Just to add to the adventure Tom will be hitching his way to all the projects – which means travelling throughout Britain from Dartmoor to Inverness, with only his thumb to help. He also aims to raise money for tree planting projects as he goes.
Tom, who has been a mountain guide in Cumbria, made contact with Restoring Hardknott Forest whilst working in the Langdale valley. He made several visits to the project, which aims to restore a 600 hectare (about 1000 football pitches) Forestry Commission plantation back to native oak woodland.
Having worked on ecological projects around the world, including New Zealand, Scotland and Cumbria, Tom is committed to increasing native tree cover in Britain, which is the lowest level in Europe, and a fraction of what is once was. He particularly likes the emphasis Restoring Hardknott Forest has on increasing the rare Atlantic oakwood habitat.
As Tom says; “One native oak tree can support hundreds of species. It can hold gallons of water on its leaves, branches, trunk and roots, reducing flooding. It is a huge store for carbon, taking it from the air to create the sugars it needs to grow, which are then accessible to countless other living things.”
John Hodgson, Project Officer for Restoring Hardknott Forest said: “I wish Tom well on his tree planting trip. We look forwards to welcoming him back to Hardknott Forest where we have plenty of trees waiting for him to plant, and perhaps a cup of tea, or even a pint, at the end of the day.”
If anyone wishes to support Tom, there is more information on his Crowdfunder page.
Contact Restoring Hardknott Forest on Facebook or twitter @HardknottForest or j.h.hodgson@leeds.ac.uk
