The Mersey Forest Gains 19,000 Trees

Mary meets Paul Nolan, CEO of the Mersey Forest

Chester Zoo, in partnership with the Mersey Forest, has planted 19,000 trees in an unused field, in their biggest habitat creation project to date.

In her role as Minister for Nature, Mary went to see the initiative in Cheshire, which has planted a mix of UK native tree species, such as oak, beech and hazel.

The creation of a woodland corridor, linking up two existing woods, will be a massive boost to wildlife in the area, which should help to bring in species including green woodpeckers, badgers, harvest mice and butterflies such as the speckled wood. With hedgerows adjacent to the woodland edge, wildlife will be able to travel through the landscape much more safely.

The project will also help to contribute to Labour’s goal to tackle climate change, and reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere.