A new community tree nursery has opened in Pensford, a collaboration between More Trees Bath and North East Somerset Council and Avon Needs Trees. 

The newest tree nursery is situated on Parsonage Lane, within the 100-acre Great Avon Wood. Since 2023, Avon Needs Trees has planted 21,000 native broadleaf trees at the site with the help of over 1,000 local volunteers. 

On July 16, 1,000 saplings were delivered to the new tree nursery from the More Trees BANES Hub in Twerton. Sandra Tuck from More Trees BANES (MTB) provided a demonstration on tree care for volunteers. The nursery will be managed by local volunteers and will supply saplings for Great Avon Wood, Lower Chew Forest, and other local areas. 

More Trees BANES is a registered charity focused on growing and planting trees in Bath and NE Somerset. Their goal is to grow at least 5,000 saplings annually from locally collected seeds, aiming for climate and disease resilience. This year, MTB collected over 100,000 seeds for the first time. 

Avon Needs Trees is a registered charity creating permanent woodlands throughout the Bristol-Avon catchment. Their efforts aim to store carbon, slow climate change, boost biodiversity, manage floods, improve air quality, and provide community spaces. 

The Great Avon Wood tree nursery is part of a network of 12 community tree nurseries in Bath and the surrounding area. As of 2024, these nurseries involve a wide range of people, allowing anyone in Bath and North East Somerset to help grow thousands of local trees each year, fostering environmental awareness and stewardship. 

Chew Valley Plants Trees are coordinating the care and watering of the Great Avon Wood nursery over the summer. Volunteers take responsibility for watering the saplings for one week during the warmer, summer months. 

To help take care of the new nursery trees or plant them when they have grown, register on the volunteer portal at https://avonneedstrees.org.uk/ before contacting Jacky Morgan at [email protected]. 

If interested in collecting and growing trees from seed with More Trees BANES, check their website at https://moretrees.earth/. To attend a tree-themed event at Great Avon Wood or learn more about the new Lower Chew Forest, visit https://avonneedstrees.org.uk/. 

Chew Valley Plants Trees can be followed for updates, news, and more information on their initiatives and activities by visiting their website at chewvalleyplantstrees.co.uk.