Incredible support for tree planting launch – CPRE Sussex

The initiative, which was launched on 20 June, has generated a wave of interest from dozens of communities and local organisations across the city and beyond.

CPRE Director, Kia Trainor, says the response shows how people appreciate and value the importance of trees in urban areas:

“There are so many benefits to having street trees,” she says, “They help to mitigate climate change, they provide cooling on hot days with shading and they provide a home for wildlife. Research shows that greenery around you is really good for mental health and well-being… and that having trees on your street can actually increase the value of your property.”

CPRE Sussex Chair, David Johnson agrees:

“If you have little garden or green space, you can help yourself as well as future generations by helping to champion trees in your area,” he says. “We would like to see better use made of every green space for planting more than just green lawns. We would like to see our roadsides be full of flowers and shrubs that attract insects and soften the townscapes with ever more trees to soak up carbon.”

CPRE Sussex is hoping that as the project grows, the charity will be able to arrange a method of enabling local people and businesses to offset their carbon footprint locally:

“Some people feel that if they have to emit carbon through travel or energy use, they would like to be able to offset some of this by planting trees,” says Kia Trainor. “We’d love to make some sort of link in Brighton and Hove so that people who want to offset their carbon have a mechanism for investigating local street trees so that they can do their bit in terms of climate change”.

Plant Your Postcode was launched at the Hotel Du Vin in Brighton. Speakers at the event included CPRE Sussex’s Chair, David Johnson and Director, Kia Trainor, Sara Lom from the Tree Council, Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Officer, Jess Price, Professor Dan Osbourne who is an expert on human ecology at University College London and Brighton and Hove Councillor, Councillor Anne Pissaridou.

The project has already received grants and sponsorships from the National Lottery, the Sussex Community Foundation (Rampion Fund) and MODA Living.