New four-acre 'children's forest' to be created in Radford Semele

A new four-acre 'children's forest' is set to be created in Radford Semele.

The full list of 69 projects set to receive funding from Warwickshire County Council' s Green Shoots Climate Change Fund was announced on July 30 and the 'children's forest' at Leasowe Farm was one of a handful of projects to receive the maximum funding amount of £25,000.

The initiative will see local children planting and maintaining the forest for future generations.

The project will also raise awareness of climate change with the children and their families, to inspire and empower them to take action to reduce their carbon footprints and leave a positive impact on the environment.

The children’s forest will include:

~ planting of 2,600 trees on four acres of land

~ engaging 350 people (of which at least 70 per cent will be children and young people) over two years to create the forest

~ maintenance of this new woodland for many generations to come.

The project is managed by Achieving Results in Communities (ARC), a local community organisation that has been working for 10 years to enhance access to, and management of, the natural environment to benefit the physical and mental health and wellbeing of local people in Warwick district and surrounding areas.

The project is guided by the Leasowe Land Regeneration Project Steering Group, whose vision is to engage the local community in a transition from farmland to woodland for a total of 12 acres, thus creating longer term connections to the land, woods and nature.

It is expected that planting of the Children’s Forest will be completed in the 2023 planting season (November ‘22 – March ‘23) and it is hoped will be open to its first visitors in the same year.

Kristie Naimo, spokesperson for the project and director of ARC said: “We are very excited to be starting this project to help people foster a stronger connection to woodland and nature locally.

"We hope this pilot will inspire and lead to the creation of more bio-diverse natural spaces across Warwick district.”

Cllr Heather Timms, portfolio holder for heritage, culture and the environment, said: “The Children's Forest at Leasowe Farm is the perfect example of why we created the Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund.

“In only a matter of a couple of years Warwick district will have an incredible new outdoor space of 2,600 trees to enjoy and, more than this, at least 350 local people will have been involved in a unique initiative to reduce Warwickshire’s carbon footprint whilst also gaining and sharing a better understanding of our natural world.

“Trees are something that it is easy to take for granted, but their impact on our environment and climate is profound.

"They absorb carbon dioxide and other harmful particulates while producing oxygen, actively cooling the air around them and providing essential habitats which boost biodiversity.

“One of the greatest harms we have done as a species is the vast deforestation of our planet, which is something we are now actively trying to reverse.

"At Warwickshire County Council, we have made a commitment to plant a tree for each resident in the County, which equates to over 600,000 trees. Projects such as the Children's Forest at Leasowe Farm will play an essential role in this commitment to tree planting.”

For more information about the scheme, go to: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/greenshootsfundFind out more about Achieving Results in Communities (ARC) CIC and their other projects around Warwick District here: www.arccic.co.uk