A long-running tree planting project in Cornwall has been handed a major funding boost after organisers confirmed they’ve planted more than two million trees since the scheme began.
The extra money is expected to help push the project further as it works towards a much bigger target over the coming decade. The scheme, which started back in 2019, was set up to help the county respond to the pressures of climate change, and the new funding marks one of the biggest single investments the project has received so far.
Millions in funding will go a long way towards helping hit an ambitious target.
Government funding worth £8.7 million has been put towards expanding the scheme, with local authorities aiming to reach 8,000 hectares of new tree canopy by 2035. That’s roughly 19,700 acres, a sizeable stretch of new woodland spread across towns, farms, and communities throughout the county.
The project fits into a wider national goal too, with England aiming to reach 16.5% tree and woodland cover by 2050. Schemes like this one are seen as a key part of getting there, especially in areas where tree cover has traditionally been thinner than average.
Planting has reached streets, schools, and farms alike.
Rather than focusing purely on rural land, the scheme has spread trees across a wide range of settings, from residential streets and school grounds to working farms. That mix means the benefits reach far beyond open countryside, bringing shade and greenery into towns and villages as well as boosting rural landscapes.
Local leaders have pointed to a long list of benefits tied to the extra tree cover, including more shade during spells of extreme heat, better habitats for birds, mammals and insects, and healthier rivers and soil as tree roots help reduce runoff. Increased canopy cover has also been linked to lower flood risk in coastal towns, something that’s become an increasingly pressing concern as weather patterns change.
Farmers have been folding trees into their land too.
It’s not just public spaces benefiting from the scheme. Farmers across Cornwall have taken up the offer of trees, funding, and guidance to build tree planting directly into their land through agroforestry, a farming approach that mixes trees with crops or livestock to boost long-term resilience.
One farm near Cardinham has planted 2,500 trees as part of the scheme, turning a section of working farmland into a mixed network of trees and pasture. Access to funding and expert guidance made it possible to get the project off the ground far quicker than doing it alone would have allowed.
The scheme comes after a tough start to the year for Cornwall’s trees.
The funding announcement lands a few months after Storm Goretti tore through the county in January, bringing gusts of up to 100mph and destroying hundreds of trees across Cornwall. Some of the losses were significant, including mature trees at well-known sites near Penzance and Truro that had stood for decades.
That kind of storm damage highlights exactly why projects like this one matter. Newly planted trees take years to mature, but replacing what’s lost after severe weather, while also expanding cover elsewhere, is seen as essential to keeping the county’s landscape resilient against whatever comes next.
What happens next for the project?
With the new funding secured, the scheme is expected to keep expanding across Cornwall over the coming years, working towards its 2035 canopy target while continuing to support farmers, schools and local communities who want to get involved. Given how much ground has already been covered since 2019, hitting two million trees looks less like a finish line and more like a staging post on the way to a much bigger goal.
