National Tree Week is an annual celebration of trees that marks the start of the planting season. We invited Simon Hoare, Member of Parliament for North Dorset, and Anthony Browne, Member of Parliament for South Cambridgeshire, to our CRT farms in their constituencies so we could talk about the latest work we’ve been doing to enact wildlife-friendly farming.

Simon Hoare MP planted a mountain ash in one of the hedgerows on Bere Marsh Farm. The berries of this tree will provide a vital source of food for British birdlife in the years ahead. The CRT has been working to plant trees and hedgerows across Bere Marsh to help sequester carbon and provide much-needed habitats and sources of food for local wildlife.

Planted two years ago, the Barton Community Orchard is a mixed tree orchard open to the public all year round. The species are all native to East Anglia and comprise pears, apples, cherries and more. Anthony Browne MP toured the orchard to mark National Tree Week but also in support of the campaign to double nature in Cambridgeshire by 2050.

Inviting the local community onto CRT farms is an important part of reconnecting people with the origins of their food and local wildlife. Inviting our MPs to visit the farms is a key part of that journey, and an opportunity to demonstrate the changes we have made and their impact on local wildlife.