Thousands of trees to be planted in Broadclyst and Poltimore thanks to council-backed community project

Up to 3,000 trees will take root in Broadclyst and Poltimore thanks to matched funding from East Devon District Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

Volunteers have already planted the first 150 trees, forming a new hedgerow at the upcoming Clyst Meadows Country Park near Broadclyst Station. 

The project team is now looking for more land in Broadclyst and Poltimore to complete the planting. Landowners interested in hosting trees are encouraged to get in touch with the Saving Devon’s Treescapes team by emailing savedevonstrees@devonwildlifetrust.org or by filling in the form on their website. 

A total of up to one hectare of native trees and 600 metres of new hedgerow will be planted, with trees grown locally by volunteers at the Saving Devon’s Treescapes Broadclyst Tree Nursery using seeds collected from the area. 

Saving Devon’s Treescapes is a four-year project led by Devon Wildlife Trust and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It aims to plant and nurture 250,000 trees outside traditional woodland settings across Devon by 2026, helping communities respond to ash dieback and restore the county’s natural treescape.  

The council contributions come from a levy paid by developers to improve the countryside. 

Cllr Paula Fernley, Assistant Portfolio Holder for Coast, Country and Environment and a Broadclyst Parish Councillor, said:  “It’s great to be working with Devon Wildlife Trust to deliver this local planting project.  

“Our recently published Tree, Woodland and Hedgerow Strategy sets out our ambition to increase tree canopy cover to 30 per cent across East Devon.  

“More trees mean more biodiversity, more shade and shelter, and better resilience to climate change. It’s also brilliant for wellbeing.” 

“The volunteers at Broadclyst Tree Nursery have done an amazing job growing these trees from locally collected seeds. I look forward to seeing them mature and support local wildlife for generations to come.” 

Michael Rogers, Project Manager at Saving Devon’s Treescapes, added: 

“Even if we don’t always notice it, most of us have seen the impact of ash dieback – from isolated trees to whole woodlands losing their canopy. But we now have new trees growing in their place, thanks to local volunteers who have nurtured saplings from Broadclyst seed.  

“We’re planting rowan, hazel, crab apple, elder – all iconic native species. We just need more places to plant them.” 

For more information, visit: 
https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/saving-devons-treescapes