The Tree Council and Network Rail’s partnership for people, wildlife and the planet was recognised at the Big Biodiversity Challenge Awards this week as exemplifying ‘what can be achieved when stakeholders are brought together in a meaningful way’, receiving the top prize in the community engagement category.
The partnership, which began in 2020 to plant 20,000 trees, has developed into much more, and now has as great a focus on community engagement as on planting. To date, 180 communities have benefitted from the partnership’s funding and support to plant trees and hedgerows in their neighbourhoods and learn new skills, and 350,000 trees/hedgerows have been established.
The work undertaken in Petersfield typifies the programme: Local stakeholders including Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN), Petersfield Community Garden, and local volunteers, worked closely with Network Rail and The Tree Council to identify the community’s priorities and needs, resulting in a multi-layered, bespoke programme of planting and training, which has contributed to a significant improvement in biodiversity locally and created an ongoing legacy.
Members of Team Tree Council, Network Rail and Petersfield Community Garden collected the award at a ceremony held at the WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes.
Sara Lom, Tree Council CEO said ‘We are absolutely delighted to have received this award in partnership with Network Rail and all the communities that are passionately planting trees in their neighbourhoods. Community engagement lies at the heart of our planting programmes and it’s fantastic that its importance has been recognised in this way..’
The awards, hosted by CIRIA, challenges organisations working in the built environment sector to ‘do one thing’ to enhance biodiversity on their sites and developments. The Tree Council and Network Rail’s project was recognised as demonstrating ‘how collaboration can support the delivery of long-lasting benefits.’
