Portsmouth residents invited to discover their local trees with help of free nature guides

Throughout 2022, the charity Field Studies Council (FSC) will be posting thousands of free easy-to-use guides to residents in Portsmouth and other coastal locations.

Register online by January 10 to receive a free guide to tree buds and bark in the post in the New Year, followed by two more identification guides in the summer and autumn about leaves and berries.

Philip Turvil, eco-business director of FSC, said: ‘The magnificence of urban trees isn’t fully revealed until you really get to know what species are growing where and how they boost our wellbeing by giving colour, shade, wildlife and so much more.

‘The free tree identification and care guides from the Field Studies Council will help Portsmouth households grow their knowledge and connection to trees they live amongst in their gardens, streets and parks.’

Registration is open to anyone aged over 16 and groups helping local communities, including groups supporting 16-25 year olds.

Each guide is filled with drawings and photos created by enthusiasts and experts to help residents learn about trees, their wellbeing and how they can protect them.

The distribution of free tree guides to residents of Portsmouth is part of a brand new programme led by Trees for Cities to increase tree canopy cover in smaller coastal cities and towns.

The Trees for Cities’ programme, ‘Forgotten Places: Greening Coastal Towns and Cities’ is

using £1.2M funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund to increase and improve tree

cover in coastal towns and cities with lower-than-average tree canopy cover and high levels of socio-economic deprivation and enhance skills and knowledge about urban trees.

More than 55,000 trees will be planted across 83 locations - including projects to celebrate the Queen’s Green Canopy - and will be delivered through urban community tree planting events designed to revitalise coastal urban areas.

The project will engage local communities with nature through this transformational greening and inspire a new generation to plant and protect urban trees.

Trees for Cities is working with the Field Studies Council, Treeconomics, Forest Research, and local delivery partners.

Register here: field-studies-council.org/free-tree-identification-guides.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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