We’re so excited to finally launch our new organisation, Co-forest.
The aim of Co-forest is to bring together a community of like-minded individuals and organisations to preserve land and plant new woodland or forestry near their town or city, whilst contributing to biodiversity, creating new natural habitats for wildlife, and reducing carbon in the atmosphere.
Co-forest was born out of an idea to celebrate Storm’s 10-year anniversary when the team discussed philanthropic causes to get involved in. The team were passionate about being more environmentally friendly and wanted to start making a difference to climate change. However, what started as a small initiative to plant some carbon offsetting trees locally has since grown into a much more impactful proposition.
Co-forest:Acorn is being planted within the local area
The first Co-forest project, which we’ve called Co-forest:Acorn, will begin planting this year in the Bath and Bristol area- and you can get involved!
Individuals and organisations can now sponsor up to an acre of land each. A number of groups have already pledged support to Co-forest:Acorn, having already raised an initial sum of £150,000.
The project team is inviting further investment from local businesses and from the general public with the ultimate hope of raising £1m. If successful, this would enable an excess of 50,000 trees to be planted, making this the largest tree planting initiative in the region.
Whatever your motivation for wanting to get involved, there is room for you in Co-forest:Acorn. You can even get involved in planting the forest, name your adopted area on the digital map, or dedicate a section of forest to a loved one.
Storm CEO and Co-forest founder, David Kelly, explains: “I’m sure most people are concerned about the climate and ecological crises we’re facing, and looking for ways to make a positive change in our lives.
“My own motivation to launch Co-forest came from seeing how much my four year old daughter enjoys the woodlands we visit, and how concerned her generation are about the future of the planet. She is very engaged in her natural surroundings and speaks to my wife and I about recycling and looking after the planet. Co-forest is a great way to create a legacy for all of our children and help future-proof our planet for generations to come.”
Planting the right trees in the right places
David continued: “We’re being very careful about where we plant trees – it is essential we put the right trees in the right place. We are working closely with The Woodland Trust, and local community interest company Ecowild, to ensure the land purchased is suitable for tree planting, and the trees planted are native and appropriate for the land, make a positive contribution to local biodiversity, and where possible extend or create ecological corridors.”
And Co-forest is not limited to a single project in the Bath and Bristol area – it has now been spun out as a separate company to allow the creation of a blueprint for similar projects across the nation – the founders envisage groups of companies and individuals coming together in towns around Britain to plant their own local forest.
Check out the new Co-forest website
Storm has recently created a brand-new website for Co-forest, and it’s looking pretty good if we do say so ourselves… Head over to coforest.co.uk to find out all about our new organisation and for details of how to get involved.
We’d also really appreciate a follow on Co-forest’s new social media channels to help spread the word.
Twitter: @co_forestuk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/co-forest/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coforestuk/
Instagram: @co_forestuk
