APPLICATIONS for free tree growing packs are now open to schools and community groups across Dorset.

Schools and community groups across the South West are now able to apply for the first one million trees of the total three million tree packs which will be available into 2022.

Packs are sent out twice a year with November packs now available for order. In Spring the uptake was high across the South West with 4,995 trees to 64 organisations despatched for planting in Dorset.

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The Woodland Trust is a leading delivery partner of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) and is offering free trees as an opportunity to help many thousands of schools and communities to plant trees to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis and the first million trees will be despatched in November during the planting season.

Senior project lead for the Woodland Trust Vicki Baddeley said: "It is a positive, life-affirming and life-changing action that people can take to mark momentous occasions like The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, to help tackle the climate and nature crises, or to make their local areas a bit greener. We find that once people have planted one tree, they usually want to do more."