Woodlands project seeks funding

Clapham-based charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) is celebrating the completion of its woodland creation programme, which has seen thousands of trees planted in the eastern side of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

After being awarded £150,000 of funding by the SITA Trust in 2007, the charity will now apply for further financial backing which will go towards its goal of creating more woodland in the area.

The move comes after the project’s original target to increase the level of native broadleaf woodland in the eastern Dales by 185 acres was exceeded.

Project leader Chris Lodge, woodland development officer at YDMT, said: “I am delighted that we received the invaluable support of SITA Trust for this important woodland creation programme.

“We were able to surpass expectations and create over 212 acres of new native broadleaf woodland in the eastern Dales and Nidderdale AONB, which has gone a long way towards meeting local and regional woodland restoration targets.

“We hope to be able to build on the project’s success with a future programme of woodland creation, and have applied for more funding from the SITA Trust to help achieve this.”

The amount was matched by funding from YDMT’s project partners including the Forestry Commission, Natural England, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and Nidderdale AONB, as well as funding raised by YDMT through donations from individual and corporate supporters and the People’s Postcode Lottery.

However, despite the project’s success, the charity insists there is still a long way to go.