The Isle of Wight Council is supporting biodiversity and developing green spaces by planting standard trees and reinstating or planting hedgerows across the Island, thanks to funding from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) through The Tree Council’s Trees Outside Woodland Fund.
100 new trees
The Isle of Wight Council successfully secured grant support through the TOW Fund and will be planting 100 standard trees of mixed native species and 200m of nature friendly hedgerow.
Community members are now invited to help plant the trees and hedgerows across a number of locations and days in January and February.
Predominantly in The Bay area
The sites, predominantly in The Bay area, have been chosen in order to connect wildlife corridors and provide canopy cover and shade in the future for the community.
The Trees Outside Woodland Fund offers grants of up to £40,000 for local authorities and larger charities to grow trees on land that is publicly accessible, or of benefit to the public.
Gillingham: A fantastic opportunity to make a real difference for nature
Tony Gillingham, Tree Officer at the Isle of Wight Council, said,
“This grant gives us a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference for nature, not just in the Bay area which is where we are focusing our efforts, but across three additional locations on the Island.
“Expanding tree canopies delivers multiple benefits: creating vital habitats and wildlife corridors, acting as carbon sinks, providing shade during hot summer months, and helping to slow floodwaters.
“As part of the Council’s commitment to enhancing biodiversity, this is a significant win.”
Aiming to support the establishment of tens of thousands of trees, the new TOW Fund was available for planting projects across the 2025/26 season in England. Successful applicants must use biosecure stock and all projects must be completed by 2nd March 2026.
Lom: Act as heritage highways for a rich array of wildlife
Sara Lom, CEO at The Tree Council, said,
“Trees outside woodland are the trees we all come across most often – those in our parks, on our streets, and even the hedgerows that help capture carbon and act as heritage highways for a rich array of wildlife.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Defra to offer this additional Tree Council grant opportunity to benefit people, wildlife and our planet, and especially the Isle of Wight Council.”
The Tree Council, the national charity working together for the love of trees, offers a range of funding and free tree options to support planting projects; helping to bring greater biodiversity, improved air quality, reduced risk of flooding, and deliver significant environmental enhancement to grant recipients and their communities, from the north of Scotland to the tip of England, in Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Volunteer days for tree planting will be:
Site Date(s) Meeting point at 10am Lake Cliff Gardens, Sandown 17 Jan Parking = Winchester House Long Stay Carpark (free on day of event) ///reward.trending.pursuingMeeting Place = Toilet block ///flexibly.rooster.braced Shanklin Cemetery 22 and 24 Jan Parking = in cemetery, cemetery entrance roundabout (///tonality.fooling.gateway), Shanklin County Ground (///prowess.pheasants.generals) and local streets.Meeting Place = Cemetery entrance roundabout ///helpless.important.detonated Coxes Green, Sandown 29 Jan Parking = nearby streetsMeeting Place = within the green ///steaming.relocated.encoder Foxes Park, Sandown 5 Feb Parking = nearby streetsMeeting Place = in the north of park at Stower Place end ///perky.staining.hasten Browns Golf Course, Yaverland 7 Feb Parking = golf course parking ///boxer.modest.serenadeMeeting Place = golf course carpark ///boxer.modest.serenade Park Road Rec – Cowes 12 Feb Parking = Park carpark and along Park Road itself ///tangent.earpiece.sentencesMeeting Place = on grass adjacent to Rec carpark ///tablet.dressings.search Appley Ryde 26 Feb Parking = Appley Park Carpark ///soaks.gross.coneMeeting = grass adjacent to Appley Park Carpark ///joined.raced.visit
You are invited to join our tree officers between 10:00 and 15:00 each day (bring a packed lunch if you are staying for the full day and plenty to drink). You will need to wear clothes appropriate for the conditions and sturdy appropriate shoes. This is an all-weather activity and will only be cancelled in the event of extreme adverse weather conditions.
For more information contact [email protected]
To find out more about The Tree Council’s Trees Outside Woodland Fund, please visit the website.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
