Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced plans to plant 4,300 trees in the final round of the Street Tree Initiative. Funding is available to community groups to get involved with the scheme, with urban trees noted as useful in improving air quality and resilience against climate change.

5 December 2014 – As part of National Tree Week the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today announced plans to make London leafier by planting the final 4,300 trees in his Street Tree Initiative. This is the third and final round of the initiative, which is on track to meet the Mayor’s commitment to plant an additional 10,000 street trees by March 2015.

The Mayor’s Street Tree Initiative is granting £600,000 of funding to 23 projects across 21 boroughs to help make London’s streets greener and increase canopy cover in the capital. The Mayor fulfilled a commitment to plant 10,000 street trees in his first term and planting this winter will bring the total number of trees planted under his Street Tree Initiatives to 20,000.

A further 22 projects across 16 boroughs have received a share of a £100,000 pot to continue the successful RE:LEAF community grant scheme, which provides funding to bolster voluntary action and helps local community groups improve their green spaces. London groups put forward proposals to the Mayor to transform local green spaces into oases, orchards and woodlands, which will see over 4,000 trees being planted across the capital this winter. The Mayor is calling on Londoners to get involved in the planting, while getting to know their sessile oaks from their silver birches.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “By pulling out our green fingers and planting trees in our communities, we are making this city a more pleasant place to live and work in. I’m delighted these projects are transforming green spaces across London and I urge everyone to get outside, pick up a spade and get involved.”

Additionally, as part of National Tree Week, the Mayor is working with Trees for Cities ‘Plant to the Beat’ project, which will see volunteers plant 10,000 trees to create a new woodland in Blondin Park, Ealing on Saturday 6 December. The mass tree planting will transform the ‘green desert’ into thriving green spaces, biodiverse woodlands and edible hedgerows.

Trees have proven societal and environmental benefits: keeping London cool and improving air quality, increasing resilience against climate change, and enhancing the general health and well-being of city-dwellers by providing tranquil havens and play space. Urban greening also helps to maintain London’s status as one of the world’s most liveable big cities and improve the capital’s international offer.

For further information, please visit www.london.gov.uk or www.treecouncil.org.uk/Take-Part/National-Tree-Week