In November 2021, the Sodbury Slog team presented the Forest of Avon Trust with a cheque for £1,300 to support the planting of trees in the local area. Since then, the trust have been busy working with a local landowner to create a small woodland near the Sodbury Slog run route.

In March 2022, 250 native trees and shrubs including Oak, Lime, Hornbeam, Alder and Hazel were planted at the site with the help of the brilliant wardens and volunteers from Cotswold Voluntary Wardens and Sodbury Woodland & Nature, funded through Sodbury Slogs donation and Trees for Climate.

Situated in the parish of Sodbury alongside Mill Lane, the River Frome runs along the west/ southwest side of the planting site, which can be seen from the Cotswold Way public footpath.

The site links to the River Frome wildlife corridor and continues to a community woodland and orchard, where 4,500 trees were also planted last winter. The area is recognised as a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (S.N.C.I.), with rabbits and roe deer frequently seen hopping about their local patch!

The trust have extended a huge thank you to the Sodbury Slog team for their generosity, and to the landowner, the wonderful wardens and volunteers for their valued help.

If you have a site in South Gloucestershire or near the Sodbury Slog route where new trees or woodland could be created, please get in touch with the trust for information about support and funding the Forest of Avon Trust could provide: treesforclimate@forestofavontrust.org

The Sodbury Slog will be continuing to support the Forest of Avon Trust with the 2022 event to fund the planting of more trees in the local area.