More than 1,500 new trees have been planted at Eastham Country Park this week as part of National Tree Week.

The project is being funded by Ground Control Ltd through their ‘Evergreen Fund’, meaning there will be no cost to the local authority for materials or labour.

The Evergreen Fund will dedicate £100,000 each year to new tree planting across the UK and Wirral has been selected to be part of this scheme.

The new trees are all native broadleaf woodland species and have been chosen for their suitability to conditions at Eastham Country Park.

The height of the trees varies between each species with some taller trees like Oak and Lime which, when fully mature, can grow up to 30 metres tall and smaller trees such as Blackthorn and Hazel which grow to a maximum height of around 10 metres. The full range of species which have been planted includes: Pedunculate Oak, Large leaved Lime, Field Maple, Hazel, Rowan, Whitebeam, Guelder rose, Hawthorn and Blackthorn.

Now that the planting is complete, each tree is due to have a biodegradable mulch mat to help retain soil moisture as well as prevent grass and weeds from outcompeting trees, and a fence will be installed around the planting.

This work will be undertaken in the next two weeks. Cllr. Liz Grey, Chair of the Environment, Climate Emergency & Transport Committee, said: “This is a really positive project which is another step in our mission to double Wirral’s tree canopy by 2030.

“Our commitment to planting is a big part of what we’re doing as a council and as a borough in response to the climate emergency and having such a variation of trees planted means they will provide valuable habitat for many different species of wildlife including birds, bats and insects.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to Ground Control Ltd who are funding this project, donating the materials and providing the labour through their ‘Evergreen Fund’.”

The new trees will be placed on a three-year inspection cycle and will be looked at by a tree inspector again in November 2023 to assess their growth.

Find out more about the Evergreen Fund online.