Buxton and Leek College students plant 800 trees at two sites

A total of 720 trees were planted at the college’s Oaklands site in Buxton with a further 80 on land adjacent to Roachside Cottage which is below the Roaches skyline, by the students who are from the Adventure Sports course.

The owner of the cottage Rob Baddeley said: “This is a huge help to us. We have been working to establish a new upland coppice on our land to complement the work of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust who administer the neighbouring land.

"The task entailed clearing the tangle of brambles and bracken and planting appropriate species to help suppress the fire risk and support the upland wildlife.”

The trees were donated by TCV, the Conservation Volunteers, and are suitable for moorland environments.

They include varieties that produce pollen for insects and fruit for wildlife such as rowan, goat willow, hawthorn, blackthorn and wild roses. The tree planting has been logged on the nationwide record being kept by the BBC’s Countryfile programme.

This is part of the initiative to greatly increase the numbers of trees growing in the UK to help reduce our carbon footprint and improve habitats for wildlife.

Jane Tattersall, a member of Moorlands Climate Action said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for young people to take part in and will have hopefully developed an interest in the nation’s wild countryside. The college will be holding other tree planting sessions this time next year and will be looking for suitable sites in the High Peak and Staffordshire Moorlands areas."