More trees for flood-hit valley

MYTHOLMROYD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: The River Calder bursts its bank's in the Calder Valley town of Mytholmroyd on December 26, 2015 in Mytholmroyd, England. There are more than 200 flood warnings across Britain as home and business owners prepare for serious flooding. The army has been deployed to some villages to bolster flood defences as rain continues to fall across the north. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Treesponsibility, which plants more than 12 acres of new woodland per year, has been active in tree planting for flood mitigation, and works in partnership with the Environment Agency, Calderdale Council and the National Trust.

Treesponsibility co-ordinator, Dongria Khond, said: “Following the worst floods in living memory many local people are asking what can be done to reduce the effects of future heavy rainfall events and more trees are definitely part of the answer.

“They play a particularly important role in minimising landslippages and in increasing the soil’s capacity to hold water in heavy rainfall events.

“In a flood inches can count – we might not be able to stop flooding, but keeping it below the level of the flood boards would make a big difference.

“We are really grateful to the Woodland Trust for backing our plans, but if we are going to scale up to 25,000 trees per year we will need more local people to help with the extra planting, and above all we rely on local landowners offering sites to plant.”

Anyone interested in volunteering or offering land can contact Dongria on 07847 815926 or email [email protected].

There is a meeting at Hebden Bridge Trades Club on Thursday, February 11, at 7pm where visitors can find out how to get involved.