April 2016 – Environmentally conscious business Premier Paper teamed up with over 30 of its customers and staff, who, together with Woodland Trust Scotland, helped to plant over 800 trees at North Wood, a woodland site just outside Livingston which is looking to increase its green space environment.

The trees, each of which were about 2 foot tall, were planted by Premier staff and customers, having had instruction and demonstrations from the knowledgeable Woodland Trust Scotland staff.

All of the trees planted were UK native species, and included a wide variety such as; silver and downy birch, elder, hazel, hawthorn and rowan.

During the day, and thanks to the assistance of the Woodland Trust for Scotland, Premier’s customers also had the opportunity to enhance their tree identification skills, by taking part in a guided walk of the North Wood forest area. During the walk they were able to learn more about the site, its redevelopment, and also about the trees that they had helped to plant.

Speaking about the success of the North Wood tree planting day, David Jones, Premier Paper Group Marketing Director said: “We had a great tree planting day at North Wood. Each tree was planted, staked and then fitted with a tree guard to protect it from deer and rabbits; so it was easy to see the progress that we had made. Thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of Premier Paper customers and staff we managed to exceed Woodland Trust’s target number of trees for that day. It was really rewarding to have helped create new native woodland that will not only provide a valuable habitat for wildlife but also, in time, become beautiful woodland for the local community to enjoy.”

Over the past year customers who participated and engaged in Premier’s Carbon Capture scheme have helped to plant over 55,000 trees with the Woodland Trust, all of which has helped to capture some 11,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, which is a fantastic environmental achievement.

North Wood

North Wood is a 35 hectare site, located to the north of Livingston in Scotland, it lies between the A89 on its northern boundary and the M8 along its southern boundary.  North Wood is a truly urban wood, and through the management of The Woodland Trust, it hopes to increase its green space environment for local residents to enjoy.

Non-native conifer species have been clear-felled in many parts of North Wood and are being replanted with thriving havens of mixed native broadleaf tree species that will help to provide much needed homes to a precious UK flora and fauna.  The wood is of importance for local biodiversity due to its size and the variety of woodland habitats.

North Wood provides excellent public access for local residents, with approximately 4.9km of footpaths throughout the site.  Entrances to the wood are all open and allow access by walkers, cyclists and horses. The site also provides excellent public access for both short and longer routes and is part of the Livingston Greenways network, with connections at both the east and west end leading to Livingston, Dechmont Law and Dechmont Village.

The Woodland Trust

As the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, The Woodland Trust has been planting trees and standing up for woodland for over 40 years. This has helped to enhance its standing as a voice for woodland and the species that call it home. The Woodland Trust works tirelessly to create woodlands which can benefit our environment and be enjoyed and valued by everyone. Woodland not only provides a rich, bio diverse environment for wildlife but also provides us all with green, open space for rest and recreation. More than 1,200 woodlands throughout the UK are owned or managed by the Woodland Trust, covering in excess of 60,000 acres throughout the UK, with free and easy year round access for us all to enjoy. Trees improve our quality of life, making our local communities and neighbourhoods greener and more pleasant places to live.

The Woodland Trust has nearly 350 sites which contain ancient woodland of which 70% is semi-natural ancient woodland – land which has been under tree cover since at least 1600.  It also manages over 110 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and has created over 32 km² (12 sq. mi) of new woodland including 250 new community woods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Woodland Trust believe that life is better with trees, as they improve the quality of the air that we breathe, provide the natural habitat for an array of UK wildlife (including 250 endangered species) and form nature’s magical playground for children and adults alike.

The Woodland Trust fights to protect our most wildlife-rich and unique ancient woods. Just 2% remain, as ancient woodlands aren’t afforded the protection many might imagine, and once lost they can’t be replaced. These woods are home to a variety of vulnerable species such as the dormouse. Every year The Woodland Trust helps to create over 1,500 hectares of new native woodland, many with the help of schools and communities to create urban green spaces.

The Woodland Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales (No 294344) and in Scotland (No SC038885): To find out more go to www.woodlandtrust.org.uk.

The Carbon Capture® Scheme

Premier Paper is offering its customers the opportunity to capture the CO₂ emissions from their paper purchases by planting and conserving native woodland right here in the UK. As a corporate partner of the Woodland Trust, Premier Paper signed up to its UK Woodland Carbon Code. This programme sets a new standard for Carbon Capture, removing it from the atmosphere through the creation of native woodland across the country.
The scheme operates under the Government’s Woodland Carbon Code, a voluntary standard for woodland creation projects in the UK. The independent certification to this standard provides assurance and clarity about the carbon benefits of these sustainably managed woodlands. It is calculated that 25m² of native UK woodland will capture and store one tonne of CO₂ and creating large areas of new native woodland, will, over time, remove hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

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