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Moorland tree planting scheme nears completion

BBC Thousands of green plastic sapling protectors on a moorland hillside. The sky is overcast. BBC
It is hoped the trees will eventually help with tackling flooding further down the Colne Valley

A scheme to plant thousands of trees across West Yorkshire moorland is nearing completion.

The project in Marsden, part of a wider programme between the National Trust, Yorkshire Water and White Rose Forest, will see a total of 65,000 saplings introduced.

It is hoped the scheme will help to tackle flooding throughout the Colne Valley, along with creating new habitats for wildlife.

The wider £7m conservation programme, Landscapes for Water, is set to take place over the next five years.

Eleven men and women in outdoor, waterproof clothing standing in a layby next to moorland in West Yorkshire. Some are carrying carrier bags full of saplings, others are holding spades.
Staff and volunteers from the National Trust and the White Rose Forest have been planting saplings on Pule Hill in Marsden

Jess Yorke, National Trust project manager, said: "It is really, really exciting to be part of this project which is helping to provide that resilience to our landscapes.

"I'm just looking forward to seeing the saplings mature and come to fruition."

The team said all 65,000 will have been planted "by the end of the next few weeks".

"The majority we planted in January and February, then we had about 4,500 that were left to plant over the last few weeks," she added.

A cast-iron sign with the words Marsden Moor and Pule on the bottom and National Trust running around the top. There are some walkers in dark clothing in the background walking along a moorland path.
The areas for planting have been carefully selected on the moor, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest

Staff and volunteers have used picks, spades, lump hammers and wooden stakes to hand-plant saplings of at least 10 native tree species.

Matt Snelling, White Rose Forest project manager, said: "This project specifically is in a key catchment for us, so the woodland that is planted will help slow the flow of water downstream.

"That will help reduce the risk of flooding which has been a major problem right across Yorkshire."

He said his organisation's role was to facilitate and fund the creation of woodland, with the Woodland Trust also supporting the project.

"Our team is usually out helping landowners right across North and West Yorkshire to get woodlands planted," he said.

As part of the wider project, moss planting and the installation of 3,500 leaky dams is being rolled out across five main areas of the South Pennines.

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