Outdoors is getting greener, as many trees, flowers and other plants reach out their leaves to the spring sun.
A key part of our efforts to create a greener (more environmental) Chelmsford is in the trees. We know they provide us with life-sustaining oxygen and absorb CO2 – a big help towards Chelmsford City Council’s net-zero carbon goal. Do you know how much they support biodiversity?
It isn’t just about new trees planted through our tree planting project, but looking after those already here. Our parks team’s arboricultural officer (covering trees, shrubs and woody plants) undertakes effective tree management with regular inspection.
The impact goes far beyond the trees:
- It cultivates habitat and vibrant ecosystems within them. Each tree supports thousands of other species: microbes in root-woven soil; insects and small mammals on the woodland floor; fungi and lichens along its bark; birds nesting in its branches.
- Like the biodiversity corridors we foster, our trees and their understory connect nature across the district. Instead of bees, you’ll see birds visiting these areas.
- In some of our woodlands is understory of rich habitat lively with wild flora. Wildlife flourishing here include shrew, butterflies, skippers and moths, an inviting food source for bats, owls, and birds of prey.
- New woodlands can develop. By planting new trees in grassland and meadows, we encourage these areas to shift into ‘scrub’, a transitional habitat, maturing into a brand new woodland over generations.
Want to get involved?
