Workers at Suma Wholefoods Co-op have helped environmental group Treesponsibility celebrate its 19th birthday in style – planting trees on a steep hillside in the Upper Calder valley.
The 27-strong team enjoyed the fresh air on a cold and sunny day, as they planted native species including hawthorn and blackthorn.
They planted over 500 trees across an acre of land, contributing to the 6,500 trees per year planted as part of their partnership with Treesponsibility, which began in 2005.
Over those years, 75,000 trees have been planted, helping to keep Suma carbon neutral and improve the local environment.
Treesponsibility works to raise awareness of climate change, and get communities involved in tree-planting to improve their local environment and biodiversity.
Its work in the Calder Valley – backed by the Environment Agency, Calderdale Council and the National Trust – focuses on flood mitigation.
The area was badly affected by floods on Boxing Day 2015, and had a damaging impact on many of the co-op’s workers and customers.
Suma member Sarah Moakler said: “We supply many businesses in the Calder Valley, some of which were devastated by the 2016 floods.
“At the time we were able to help out with some emergency food supplies, but we are glad to be working with Treesponsibility to build resilience and try and address the causes of the flooding in the longer-term”.
Treesplanting is also creating earthworks and restoring moorland to slow down the rate of flow and contain water, as part of The Source, a working partnership with a long term vision of ecological restoration in the headwaters of the River Calder.
It is also treating damaged land and controlling erosion, improving the quality of the River Calder, and carrying out educational and volunteering activities.
