Farmers collect trees as part of Free Trees for Farmers Scheme

Farmers from across Stratford-on-Avon District have collected their tree packs as part of the third round of the Free Trees for Farmers Scheme, marking another major step in the District's nature recovery efforts.  

The scheme, now delivered by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, aims to improve habitats and help landowners boost biodiversity and support climate adaptation across agricultural land, with continued funding support of £35,000 from Stratford-on-Avon District Council.  

The newly collected trees, supplied as hedge, woodland, and fruit tree packs will now be planted to support natural flood management, carbon sequestration, and ecological recovery across the District. Farmers were offered anything from small mixed-species packs to hundreds of saplings, enabling them to choose the best fit for their land.  

Councillor Susan Juned, Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District said: "We're delighted to continue supporting this initiative, which brings real environmental benefits while helping farmers future-proof their land. Partnering with the Wildlife Trust ensures expert delivery and long-term impact for our local ecosystems."  

This round of the Free Trees for Farmers Scheme is part of a wider £55,000 package approved by the District Council's Cabinet in June last year to support nature recovery, which also included £20,000 for the Wilder Communities Project, a Wildlife Trust-led initiative planting hedges and wildflowers in community green spaces across the District.  

This year's distribution follows two highly successful earlier rounds with 8,000 trees distributed to 38 farmers in Round One through the Warwickshire Rural Hub (a partnership funded by Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Warwick District Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council) supported by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, and the Trees Call to Action Project, to any farm located within the boundary of the three local authority areas and 13,000 trees distributed across the District during Round Two.