Ely XR, Cambridge XR and Eco Ely are hoping to raise £2000 to rescue at least 3000 two year old oak saplings from the mulcher. We intend to use 1000 of these to create a new community woodland and will offer up the remaining 2000 to local community groups, landowners and schools for their own tree planting projects. If we exceed our target we will be able to purchase additional saplings.

Responsible, large scale, tree planting is vital to help combat climate change and oak woodlands provide important habitats for many native british species.

As highlighted in the Times: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/well-burn-750-000-young-oak-trees-warn-growers-9ss23vzbl

Unless we act now, more than 750,000 young oak trees due for planting will be destroyed by nursery owners who are struggling to maintain their stock due to staffing shortages caused by the Covid-19 outbreak and delays in funding coming through from central government. In anticipation of a surge in demand for tree saplings after government pledges to incentivise mass tree planting, nurseries collected millions of acorns which are now two year old saplings ready to plant.

Mike Harvey, managing director of Maelor Forest Nurseries near Wrexham, told the Times that he would have to destroy half a million two-year-old oak seedlings worth £150,000. His company sowed 800,000 oaks two years ago in response to pledges on tree planting but he said only 300,000 had been ordered this year due to delays in the funding and now with the lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 it is difficult to look after the stock until the Autumn when planting season commences. These saplings can't wait until next year to be planted because once they get too old their root systems can be damaged by being replanted.

In response to this Ely XR have agreed a discounted price for these saplings from Maelor Forest Nurseries so we can save them from the mulcher and get them in the ground where they can start locking up carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and create new woodlands for local residents (and willdlife) to enjoy.

Our target includes the cost of the trees and the tree guards required to protect them while they grow. All donors will be recognised in a blog post about this project and if you donate more than £25 we will name a tree after you. If we exceed our target, we will be able to buy more trees and tree guards for planting in the community. You will be able to follow progress of the project on our facebook (https://www.facebook.com/extinction.rebellion.ely/, https://www.facebook.com/xrcambridge/) and twitter pages (@XRebellionEly, @xr_cambridge).