Woodland of 13,000 trees to be planted on Exmoor

A new woodland is being planted on Exmoor as part of a drive to increase tree cover and fight climate change.

The project which has started at Bye Wood involves increasing woodland cover by 13.5% to the recommended 17% by 2050 on Exmoor National Park.

The first 300 of 13,000 trees were planted at the weekend at a site near Winsford in Somerset by volunteers.

Patrick Watts-Mabbott from the national park authority said the project is "all part of the climate emergency".

The trees will also help to keep the River Exe clean, he added.

Organisers hope the trees will help the moorland cope with a warmer climate and more unpredictable weather in the future.

It is estimated that five million tonnes of carbon are stored in trees on Exmoor which helps to capture about 50,000 tonnes of carbon every year.

The new woodland will span 12 hectares and help lock away about 2,600 tonnes of carbon during the first 100 years.

Trees not traditionally associated with Exmoor that do better in hotter and drier climates are being planted.

A mixture of oak, hawthorn and Scots pine will also benefit the nearby river, it is claimed.

Jack Hunt, a woodlands assistant said they wanted Bye Wood to have "multiple objectives" including carbon storage, habitat creation, adding to the local sustainable economy and increasing connectivity for wildlife.

"In 80 years when our trees reach maturity the climate will be different," said Mr Hunt, who was part of the design process for the woodland.

Graeme McVittie, senior woodlands officer for the national park authority, said: "As the soil biology develops, it will become more efficient at sequestering and storing carbon."

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