CARBON AWARE PRODUCTIONS
CARBON AWARE PRODUCTIONS
Breathing life back into Marston Vale
In 2022 & 2023, your funds contributed to the planting of 6,500 trees in the Forest of Marston Vale, an area that was once dominated by clay pits & landfill sites.
Reforesting an industrial lansdcape
Industrial Zones © Marston Vale
History of the Forest
The Forest of Marston Vale is a swathe of land set over 61 square miles between Bedford and Milton Keynes. The area was once peppered with deep clay pits dug up to supply the brickworks industry which were then filled with waste to be used as landfill. Over 100 industrial chimneys filled the air with smog. Tree cover was a low 3.6%, a third of the national average at the time.
Tree Restoration
In the early 90s, to help the area recover from the effects of these industries, the Government made it a Community Forest. Since then, thanks to the Forest Trust Charity, 2.75 million trees have been planted making 13 community woodlands across the area. It has lifted the tree cover to an impressive 16.9%.
© Martin Rogers
© Francesca Reeves Photography
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© Marston Vale
Wild Haven
These woodlands are now interspersed with wetlands and bike paths, grasslands and horse trails which a quarter of a million people enjoy them every year.
Your Trees
Between 2021-23 you helped us fund the planting of 6,500 trees, extending the range of a pocket of woodland at Houghton Conquest in Marston Vale.
Map
6500 CAP trees were planted between 2022 and 2023 at Houghton Conquest in the Forest of Marston Vale, Bedfordshire.
January 2026
The Forest Trust is on a mission to raise tree cover to 30%. With that in mind, and with funds from our funders, we will be planting 5,000 more trees in January 2026. One of the best things about Marston Vale? It’s just a stone’s throw from London making it easy for our city-based funders and volunteers to join planting days. Get in touch for details.