IAN ATKINSON will never see the trees he’s planting in their full glory – but he’s hoping Planet Earth will still be around for them to flourish for centuries to come.
A committed follower of environmental campaigners Extinction Rebellion – he and his dog Badger were arrested at a sit down protest in London in 2019 – he’s invested his money and land into helping to save the planet.
That’s why he’s planting thousands of trees, including 1,000 oak, with the Extinction Rebellion logo picked out in Scots Pine in the middle of the forest to be.
“Climate change and tree planting is a massive issue, it was certainly important enough for the Government, indeed both political parties, to make huge promises on before the last election,” he said.
“But when they came to power they failed to fulfill their commitment to plant trees in nearly all the ways they promised.
“That’s why the forest nurseries were left with all these saplings that the Government suddenly did not want and so we decided to make use of them.”
Ian planted 2,000 trees on land he bought near North Littleton in Worcestershire and now, as well as oak there will be some 1,500 other trees going in to diversify the offering.
“The oaks will benefit from the other trees and they’ll also be good for insects and animals too,” said Ian.
“I chose Scots Pine for the Extinction Rebellion logo as they are they only native coniferous trees that stay green all year round.”
He added: “I would say 200 years is a reasonable amount of time for them to mature, although I will never see them in their full glory, I hope others will be able to.”
