Fife Climate Forest

Our vision: Connect, Grow, Thrive

Looking after trees is very important for our planet’s health. Fife Climate Forest is a partnership working together to protect the trees we already have and plant new trees. Every tree counts and even small actions can help biodiversity and combat climate change.

CONNECT

Connect communities together with a shared vision about trees, woods, and forests. Help nature to recover by creating bigger, better, connected areas.

Key aims

• Encourage communities to work together to make the environment healthy and green.
• Create a place that appreciates every tree.
• Link woodlands with new trees and hedgerows to help wildlife move between them.

GROW

Grow the number of trees in Fife and help communities to care for them.

Key aims

• Plant trees in urban areas to provide shade, reduce heat, and manage stormwater.
• Combine planting trees with farming and community growing.
• Support communities to build wealth and develop skills.

THRIVE

Support thriving and resilient places for people and nature.

Key aims

• Improve health and wellbeing by creating more accessible greenspaces.
• Protect Fife’s trees and create woodland areas to store carbon and support biodiversity.
• Enhance the landscape by tree planting along riversides and creating hedgerows.
• Help trees to withstand climate changes, like pests and diseases.
• Promote wildlife conservation and biodiversity within Fife’s urban and rural treescapes.

Tree Planting and Tree Adoption

We invite community members to participate in tree planting, supported by Fife Tree Wardens and local volunteers. Our events will take place in key areas of Fife identified using the Tree Equity Tool, ensuring that all communities benefit from increased green spaces. It’s a hands-on opportunity to make a tangible difference in your local environment.

As part of our commitment to community involvement, the Fife Climate Forest is launching a tree adoption program, offering 300 trees for adoption by local communities in our planting sites.

This initiative is supported by the Nature Restoration Fund. It allows individuals and groups to take an active role in caring for their environment. Participants will receive an adoption certificate. They are encouraged to nurture their adopted trees as part of a long-term commitment.

Find out more about where you can plant and adopt a tree

Write A Letter to a Tree

Share your personal connection to trees by writing a letter to a tree for an upcoming book celebrating Fife Climate Forest. 

What do trees mean to you? Perhaps a tree has been your quiet companion during life’s challenges, a symbol of strength, or a place of joy. Maybe you’ve marvelled at their beauty, relied on their shade, or felt inspired to protect them.

Your letter can be a memory, a story or a heartfelt message—anything that expresses what trees mean to you. 

This book will celebrate the trees of Fife as well as the people who cherish them. Whether it’s a tree you grew up with, one you’ve planted, or the collective vision of a greener Fife we’d love to include your story.

Submissions are open to everyone in Fife. To take part, please send your letter to climateforest@climateactionfife.org.uk by 10 January.

If you have any questions, please get in touch.  Let’s grow this forest of words together and celebrate the roots, branches, and leaves that connect us all.

Host a tree party!

Why not host a Tree Party and celebrate the trees in your life. You could thank the tree that brightens your trip to the shops, school or work or join with neighbours to host a Tree Party at a nearby greenspace or park. 

For National Tree Week 2024, the Tree Council is distributing Tree Party materials to libraries across the UK. Look out for colourful, tree themed displays, gorgeous bookmarks and themed reading lists. You can download these resources from the Tree Council website.

The Value of Trees

Trees are vital to our planet’s health and play a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, improve air quality, reduce runoff and erosion, and support wildlife habitats. Green spaces enhance mental and physical health, foster community interaction, and can boost property values and attract businesses.

My Tree Survey

Complete a simple itree My Tree Survey. It will ask you for location, tree species, tree condition, trunk size, sun exposure and proximity to buildings.

My Tree then estimates your tree’s value. Click on equivalents to give you something that is a bit easier to understand. The value can then be translated into pounds.

Protecting Trees

Protecting existing trees is just as important as planting new ones. Here are a few ways to can safeguard our trees:

• Report any signs of disease or damage to local authorities.
• Participate in community tree care programs.
• Raise awareness of the value of trees in your community.
• Find out about ancient and veteran trees that need protection in your area.
• Consider a Tree Protection Orders for any threatened trees.
• Support initiatives that prioritise green spaces in local place plans.

By taking these steps, we ensure that trees continue to provide their invaluable benefits for generations to come.

Tree Equity

Tree equity is about ensuring that all communities, regardless of their economic status or geographic location, have equal access to the benefits that trees provide.  In many areas, low-income neighbourhoods have fewer trees. This leads to disparities in air quality, temperature, and overall wellbeing.

• Use tools like the Tree Equity Score to identify areas lacking in tree coverage.
• Share where new planting could go through our Green Maps.
• Prioritise tree protection and planting in underserved communities.

By focusing on tree equity, we can create healthier, more resilient communities where everyone enjoys the benefits of trees.

HOw to get involved

There are lots of ways to help woods and trees in Fife. Here are some ways to get involved.

• Share your favorite woods and trees and where you would like to plant more trees and hedges through our Green Maps.
• Volunteer to plant, look after and stand up for the trees in your patch through Fife Tree Wardens.
• Participate in our tree adoption program and nurture your own piece of Fife’s natural heritage.
• Encourage your community to protect and plant trees.
• Help people source free or affordable fruit trees and learn how to take care of them through A Fruit Tree for Every Garden in Fife.
• Fundraise and donate to help protect and plants trees across Fife through the Fife Tree Fund.

Stay connected

Use #FifeClimateForest to see updates on social media.

For more information or enquiries about Fife Climate Forest please email us at climateforest@climateactionfife.org.uk.

Partners

Fife Climate Forest is a partnership of national, regional and local organisations.

Strategic partners

CLEAR Buckhaven & Methil, Climate Action Fife, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, Fife Communities Climate Action Network (FCCAN), Fife Council, Forestry and Land Scotland, NatureScot, NHS Fife, Rural Skills Scotland, Scottish Forestry, St Andrews Botanic Gardens, Transition University St Andrews, Trees for Cities, Tree Council, Sustainable Cupar and Woodland Trust Scotland.