THE HEART of England Forest Charity successfully planted 10,000 trees in just five hours to raise awareness of the lack of woodland cover in the UK.
The ambitious challenge, which took place on Monday (November 2), blossomed from the simple idea that for every picture, photo or representation of ‘what a tree means to you’ – sent via email or social media – a tree will be planted in the Heart of England Forest.
All the images were collated into a virtual forest on www.treesfortrees.co.uk where entrants viewed live updates of the forest as the new woodland was created.
Set up in 1996 by Felix Dennis – the late Chairman of Dennis Publishing – the Heart of England Forest Charity has the long-term goal of planting a 30,000 acre native broadleaf woodland in the heart of England.
The purpose of the new forest is to create a place of tranquility and natural beauty that’s open to everyone to enjoy for generations to come.
The challenge is part of a wider campaign by media brand The Drum called ‘Do It Day’ – which aims to change the world for the better in a day through the power of marketing.
Jon Snow, broadcaster and chairman of the trustees for the Heart of England Forest Charity said: “Planting 10,000 trees in one day was no mean feat and we received great support from the British public.
“We was confident that the #TreesForTrees campaign would become a reality and we’re delighted to accomplish such a fantastic challenge.”
James Tye, CEO of Dennis Publishing, said: “It was a difficult challenge, but it will make a real difference to woodland coverage in the UK.
“Over 200 staff from Dennis volunteered to help plant the 10,000 trees – we loved receiving everyone’s images that kick-started us planting the forest.”
Gordon Young, editor for The Drum said: “This year we wanted to prove that marketing can achieve something truly great in just one day.
“The Heart of England and Dennis challenge showcased how marketing can change the world.”
For more information, go to www.treesfortrees.co.uk
