The Mayor is inviting Londoners, schools and local community groups to apply for 49,000 free trees as part of a mass planting of 75,000 trees over the weekend of Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 December. The event is being organised by the Mayor of London as part of his plan to help make the capital become a National Park City and to help mark National Tree Week

The Mayor has partnered with the Woodland Trust, which will provide 24,000 trees free of charge for Londoners to plant in their gardens, with a further 25,000 trees being offered to community groups and schools across the capital, in partnership with community charity The Conservation Volunteers.

The trees being given away include field maple, birch, hazel and hawthorn saplings, all attractive garden species that are great for wildlife and easy to plant and will be planted over

London’s trees help improve air quality by removing 2,241* tonnes of pollution from the air every year, and save an estimated £126M in costs to society associated with pollution. They remove the equivalent of 13 per cent of PM10 particulates and 14 percent of NO2 emitted by road transport, as well as storing carbon and creating habitat for wildlife. 

Demand for trees is expected to be high so Londoners wanting a tree pack (of two trees to plant at home) have from now until the 5 November to apply, whilst community groups and schools with the space to plant at least 50 trees have until 22 November.

There are plenty of other ways for Londoners to get involved in the Mayor’s tree planting including:

• Apply by 5 November at www.london.gov.uk/plant-a-tree for free tree packs to plant in gardens. Tree packs will be delivered to successful applicants’ homes by the end of November.
• Organise tree planting events in local communities, by applying for a free pack of 50 trees to brighten up local green spaces and playgrounds. Community groups can apply for up to 50 free trees for their events by going to www.london.gov.uk/community-trees
• Volunteering at large-scale National Park City tree planting events on 1 and 2 December 2018. Trees for Cities will be hosting four large events in North, South, East and West London. Full details of how to register can be found via  www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/plant-tree/volunteer
• There will also be online advice on tree planting including how to plant a tree, where you can plant it and how to care for it at www.london.gov.uk/trees