Community planting: expanding woodland at Eastham Country Park

The Mersey Forest has worked closely with Wirral Council over several years to introduce more trees in parks and greenspaces in the area, contributing to the council’s plan to double tree cover in the borough.

Eastham Country Park, located in Wirral’s southeast, is home to ancient semi-natural woodland. Working with the council – and thanks to funding from Trees for Climate and the hard work of community volunteers – The Mersey Forest has completed 1.73ha of new tree planting to extend and strengthen these existing woodlands.

Over 1.7ha of new tree planting has helped to extend and strengthen the existing woodlands at Eastham Country Park. Credit: The Mersey Forest

Enhancing a popular woodland

Eastham Country Park is located next to the River Mersey and covers 40ha in total. The park already has lots of ancient semi-natural woodland and the new planting helps to extend this, making the ancient woodland more resilient to hazards such as storms, pests and diseases.

The project has also increased the number of tree species, with 2,725 native broadleaf trees and shrubs including oak, silver birch, field maple and rowan alongside hazel, hawthorn and dogwood. This new woodland provides excellent habitat for the native wildlife in the area, providing wildlife corridors for them to move between the existing woodlands.

Engaging the local community

To bring people together in shaping their local environment, a community planting day was held in February 2024, with around 40 volunteers turning up. Guided by The Mersey Forest and Wirral Council’s Senior Trees and Woodland Manager, volunteers helped plant thousands of trees, demonstrating the power of community-led conservation.

Lots of people turned up on the community planting day to get outdoors, have fun and help plant thousands of trees. Credit: The Mersey Forest

Long-term benefits for all

Natural flood management

The additional trees will help retain rainwater, improve soil infiltration and reduce runoff, contributing to local flood resilience.

Creating greenspace

New paths have been created as part of the woodland design, encouraging people to explore and enjoy the growing forest.

Enhancing wildlife

The expanded woodland acts as a wildlife corridor, providing a habitat for local wildlife to live and move between the ancient semi-natural woodland in the area.

Community involvement

Wirral Council runs regular tree maintenance sessions, providing opportunities for local people to get outside, care for the woodland and enjoy the health benefits of being active outdoors.

A thriving natural resource for the future

By combining funding, expert guidance and community action, this project means that Eastham Country Park remains a thriving natural resource for generations to come.

Be part of the Northern Forest

Want to plant trees? Whether you’re creating new woodland or extending an existing site, you can reap a whole host of extra benefits.

• Boost biodiversity.
• Provide shelter.
• Protect your soil.
• Fight flooding.

Your new trees could be part of the Northern Forest and make a difference for people, wildlife and the environment in the North of England.