Thousands of trees planted at Newcastle Airport

The most recent phase of this ambitious woodland planting project has seen 17,000 trees planted to create an additional 10.42 hectares of woodland – equivalent in size to around 14 football pitches.

The new woodland areas will form part of the North East Community Forest (NECF), with Defra funding being provided by the scheme’s ‘Trees for Climate Grant’ and facilitated by Tilhill Forestry, a member of BSW Group.

Alice Andreasen, chief sustainability and communications officer, said: “We are committed to being a responsible organisation as well as a good neighbour.

“This woodland planting project will not only help us to improve the biodiversity on our land but will also help us move closer to our Net Zero Carbon 2035 goals by working to offset some of our emissions.”

Lloyd Jones, forest manager at the NECF, added: “Planting trees is always an enjoyable and rewarding experience and I’m delighted we have been able to work with Newcastle International Airport, Tilhill Forestry and other partners to deliver this phase of the project.

“In time these trees will help to turn the tide on biodiversity loss, improve air quality, reduce the risk of flooding, create new green spaces and habitats for birds and wildlife and help to tackle climate change.

“This project is another significant step towards us achieving our goals of improving our natural environment and creating happier and healthier communities for everyone.”

Airport and community volunteers also recently helped to plant a further 900 native bulbs and six large specimen trees at the Abbotswood area of woodland in Woolsington.