DowlingDodd have now been partners with Plant One Cornwall since 2023. Plant One’s aim is “Getting trees in the ground” and ‘creating habitat”. This means returning the natural Celtic woodlands to beautiful Cornwall, many of which have been lost over the years. As it stands currently, Cornwall only has 9% canopy cover but by working with Plant One, we will bring back the woods which will have a global impact in the fight against climate change.
We have chosen to do this because we are conscious of the environmental impact of our work and through this partnership, we aim to help re-establish habitats for wildlife in our beautiful county, whilst improving the environment for future generations. In addition to funding, we have been privileged to help out with both the planting of trees and woodland maintenance in various locations across Cornwall. Visit our ‘Articles’ page to see a bit more about what we got up to.
Who are Plant One Cornwall? Plant One Cornwall is registered Community Interest Group that brings business, individual and landowners together to plant trees in Cornish soil. They are a small and enthusiastic team who focuses on the threat of climate change and the ecological crisis by taking direct action. Their unique approach empowers businesses, landowners and communities to create tangible, local solutions to these global problems. More than anything though, Plant One is about increasing woodland habitat in the county. The focus is to establish Upland Oakwood (also known as Atlantic Oakwood or Temperate Rainforest) where possible, however, other habitats will be planted depending on the site. The team at Plant One have already taken action by planting new woodlands across Cornwall, connecting isolated woodlands and working with organisations to achieve fantastic biodiversity aims.
Britain was once home to a vast forest. This old-growth Atlantic Oakwood covered the western areas of the UK but now only 2% of this original forest remains. The UK is one of the most heavily deforested countries in Europe with a canopy cover of just 13% compared to an average cover of 26% in Europe, and with Cornwall lagging behind with a mere 9%. Cornish woodlands are truly special, wild and mysterious. They are enchanting forests, playing home to a host of wildlife, inviting those who wander to come and explore. These gnarly trees cascade down the banks of estuaries where fish and other marine life shelter in their shade and Egrets perch on their tendrils. These beautiful Oakwoods teem with life and are of huge ecological importance, their precious habitats can simply not be quantified.
By directly working with Plant One, acres of woodland have are being established with thousands of Cornish Oak trees. This means that woodland habitats are being actively created whilst increasing biodiveristy and sequestering carbon across Cornwall. Planting these precious woodlands not only helps get the trees in the ground, but it helps to reconnect individuals with nature and our partnership with Plant One helps take the dramatic steps needed to fight climate change. Tree planting takes time, patience and skill and Plant One knows this well. Built into the cost of the tree they include a maintenance package to ensure all trees survive past adolescence and into maturity, providing complete assurance that the trees we plant together will be here for us all to enjoy in the future.
