WITH National Tree Week having run from November 23 to December 1, let’s talk about trees.

CASA (Climate Action St Austell) will be giving away trees in St Austell before Christmas, with the best period to plant trees being any time between now and March.

Trees are brilliant at helping to keep us and our planet healthy. They provide us with nearly a third of the oxygen that we breathe, are good for mental health, provide food and shelter for us, and prevent homes being flooded.

They provide homes for many of our animals and they are one of the most important carbon-storing devices we have.

Very sadly, our tree cover is being cut down faster than it is being replaced. Trees take time to do their work so, if you can plant a tree or preferably lots of them, the best time to do it is now.

The ideal trees to plant for greatest benefit to us and the planet are our native broadleaf trees, as they are able to cope well with our climate and soils, resist diseases and are easy to look after.

A mature oak tree for instance can support 2,300 different species, store up to 16 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime and produce copious amounts of oxygen.

Planting a large tree needs a lot of thought and planning. You need to think that it may be in place for hundreds of years and grow to an enormous size. If you can plant a hedge using our native trees, it can be a good compromise. Letting the hedge grow wilder improves its contribution to wildlife.

If you have no room, please donate to or join one of the charities supporting the planting of trees. They also provide useful tree planting advice. There are quite a few.

The Woodland Trust and National Trust are two that work across the country and there are many local ones.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Forest for Cornwall are countywide and there are two local nurseries growing trees and helping our community: Bolghen Community Tree Nursery, near Trewiddle, and Emmaus Community Tree Nursery in Trewoon.

Article from CASA