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Students have planted nearly 800 new trees on Swansea’s Kilvey Hill, helped by local residents, scouts and police officers, in a community event funded by the University.
Around 150 people took part, planting 784 trees across four different sites on the hill, which is a noted landmark overlooking the east of the city, topped by a radio aerial visible from afar. From the summit, there are beautiful sweeping views across the whole of Swansea Bay.
The event was organised by the Swansea University Tree Society, a newly established student group.
It marked National Tree Week, which took place at the end of November. Across the UK, hundreds of local communities organised tree planting events, increasing the number of trees and getting people out into the natural world.
The trees planted were from seven different species: English and sessile oak, hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, silver birch and rowan.
The new trees will bring all kinds of benefits - increasing biodiversity, improving air quality across the city, and soaking up carbon emissions. They will also enhance the area’s natural beauty and the outdoor spaces that are so important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Swansea University’s Campus Life team, which provides funding to support community initiatives, gave a grant of £250 towards the project. The team will also be funding a children’s Christmas party in Crymlyn Burrows and have helped older residents to apply for free bus passes.
Jean-Louis Button, a University student and event organiser, said:
“After months of planning, all of the pieces finally came together. We planted over 780 trees with the help of around 150 local residents, cub-scouts, University students, Police Officers and also a few senior members of the Swansea City Council too!
The grant from the University paid for the equipment needed to physically plant the trees, but also for training materials. This is of great value as it ensured that the tree planting was carried out using the correct methods, increasing the number of saplings which will survive the winter months.
The next phase of this project will now be looking after our trees and ensuring that they remain happy and healthy!”
Elinor Thomas, from the community liaison team at Swansea University, said:
“Trees are a priceless asset for our city and our planet. They give us cleaner air and a healthier environment and they help us tackle the climate emergency.
Jean-Louis and the students in the Tree Society organised this wonderful initiative, planting hundreds of trees with local residents, including children. It is an investment in our community and our future and we were delighted to support it”.