Council’s Commemorative Carbon-Busting Tree Scheme Takes Root

Two greenhouse-gas-gobbling ‘golden groves’ of five trees each were planted at Edisford in Clitheroe and St John’s Playing Fields in Longridge to commemorate the council’s landmark anniversary in April.

And a further 40 trees are in the process of being planted at parishes throughout the borough, including at the Clayton-le-Dale farm of Ribble Valley Mayor Louise Edge, along with sites at Dinkley, West Bradford, Bashall Eaves and Thornley with Wheatley.

And further redwoods plantings are on the cards for Wilpshire, Barrow, Read, Simonstone and Sabden.

Giant redwoods are the tallest living thing on earth capable of storing hundreds of tonnes of carbon through ‘sequestration’, the process by which trees capture and store carbon in their roots and branches.

One giant redwood can store more carbon than a hectare of woodland and 250 times more than the average tree.

The RVBC50 ‘redwood lungs’ are expected to bust the entire lifetime’s carbon footprint of around 50 residents.

Ribble Valley Mayor Louise Edge said: “Giant redwoods have been in the news recently for their incredible ability to soak up and store carbon, and they have an crucial future role in tackling climate change.

“Redwoods exude great presence, giving a real sense that you are meeting one of nature’s wonders, and I am  delighted to be part of a global and local move to preserve, celebrate and utilise these majestic trees.”

Giant redwoods are a colossus of carbon sequestration and are thriving in the UK, which has a similar cool and wet climate to their native home in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Parish councils in Ribble Valley interested in planting one of the remaining redwoods are asked to contact Ribble Valley Borough Council’s countryside officer David Hewitt on 01200 425111 or 07725 602744 without delay.