News / Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2022

Bristol Charity Advent 2022, day 18: Avon Needs Trees

By Bristol24/7  Friday Dec 16, 2022

Over the last centuries, the Bristol area has lost most of its woodland and is now one of the most deforested parts of the UK.

This leaves our local area vulnerable to the climate crisis, increased flooding and a sharp decline in our local biodiversity.

Planting new woodlands is essential to tackle the climate and nature emergencies. Woodlands take many years to deliver these benefits, and there are increasing worries about whether new woodlands planted will still be here in the decades to come.

Independent journalism
is needed now More than ever
Keep our city's journalism independent.

This where Avon Needs Trees comes in, a charity based at Future Leap on Gloucester Road (where the Bristol24/7 team also work a couple of days a week).

The best way to guarantee the permanence of new woodlands is to purchase the land on which they are created.

Avon Needs Trees is tackling the climate emergency by fundraising to buy land to plant new, permanent woodlands of well cared-for trees that will store up carbon over time.

New woodlands help natural flood management as well as helping local nature to bounce back.

Avon Needs Trees is a charity charity creating new permanent woodland to fight the climate and ecological emergency – photo: Daisy Brasington

Avon Needs Trees was founded in 2019 by environmentalist Nikki Jones and a small band of volunteers.

Since then, they have had started two projects in Wiltshire, purchasing two sites of 47 acres, planting and caring for 22,000 native trees with the help of hundreds of volunteers from local and surrounding communities.

The charity is currently in the process of buying a third site near Bristol which will be their biggest and most ambitious project yet.

Main photo: Canopy & Stars

Read next:

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:

Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
I want to receive (tick as many as you want):
I'm interested in (for future reference):
Marketing Permissions

Bristol24/7 will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:

We will only use your information in accordance with our privacy policy, which can be viewed here - main-staging.bristol247.com/privacy-policy/ - you can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at meg@bristol247.com. We will treat your information with respect.


We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related articles

You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
Independent journalism
is needed now More than ever
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
Join the Better
Business initiative
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
* prices do not include VAT
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
Enjoy delicious local
exclusive deals
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
Wake up to the latest
Get the breaking news, events and culture in your inbox every morning