More than 200 newly planted trees damaged by vandals

[dutchman]

The trees were planted on the Campion Hills in an effort to combat climate change



A council's green spaces team were 'shocked' to find that more than 200 newly planted trees have been damaged by vandals. The saplings, which had been planted on the Campion Hills in Leamington Spa had their protective guards and stakes removed.

The trees had been planted as part of Warwick District Council's Trees For Our Future campaign, which aims to plant 160,000 trees in the district by 2030. This is part of an effort to combat climate change and if the goal is met there would be roughly one tree for every person living in the district.

Councillor Alan Rhead, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Neighbourhood Services commented: "This is incredibly disheartening to see and means the hard work and resources that have gone into improving the local area have been wasted. Tree establishment is a critical period in the creation and management of woodland, with newly planted trees particularly susceptible to damage from rabbits, deer and voles.

"Tree guards not only help protect the trees, but also assist with the uptake of water at the roots. Their removal means the trees are now less likely to survive.”

“Following this incident, I would like to send out a plea to our whole community to support the good work our officers are doing and to encourage others to leave these newly planted trees, so that we can establish new woodland areas and wildlife habitats for the benefit of generations to come.”