‘Over 80,000 trees have been planted with over 200 landowners’

The fight against global warming and environmental calamity has taken various guises across the planet but in the heart of Somerset, a group called Reimagining the Levels (RtL) are doing what they can to revitalise the local landscape.

RtL is a Community Benefit Society with a vision to maximise the engagement of local people, many of whom were affected by the devastating floods of 2014.

Speaking to Somerset’s Alive!, RtL’s Carrie Skinner explains how the group was formed and the milestones it has achieved over the past eight years.

She said: “After the massive flooding of 2013/14 on the Somerset Levels had been drained and the true costs became apparent, loss of homes, businesses, farmland, biodiversity etc., a meeting was called at the Red Brick Building in Glastonbury to attempt to analyse the causes and find ways of preventing future flooding on this scale. 

“Climate experts had repeatedly warned that ‘weather events’ such as this one were likely to become more frequent due to global warming and it seemed sensible to start planning for adaptation for such changes. 

“From this meeting Reimagining the Levels was born and its members were all people who had a strong attachment to the landscape and were keen to find solutions to the climate emergency that would safeguard and revitalise it.”

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In October 2016, Robert Deane of Rural Focus published a report commissioned by RtL which pulled together the thoughts of the group and the challenges facing the landscapes and communities.

Carrie continues to explain: “The Levels are surrounded on three sides by hills, the Mendips, the Yeovil escarpment and the Blackdowns, Brendans and Quantocks.

On the fourth side is the coast from where the storm surge that overwhelmed the drain defences came.”

The report provided details of how RtL could enhance the natural systems for adapting to a changing climate and how they can support an economy that develops local supply chains.

Since then, an Enterprise Forum was held that enabled local entrepreneurs to pitch their sustainable business ideas and win funds. 

Carrie adds that there have been many discussions held which have helped develop strategies on the use of trees.

She continues: “We have held conferences, themed around Trees and Woodland cover over the Catchment, as it became more apparent how central trees and hedgerows are in the regeneration of the landscape via reducing soil erosion, carbon sequestration, increasing biodiversity, dealing with excess water and importantly, connecting people to their landscapes.”

From this, schools and community venues were able to plant trees and this led to an approach by Somerset Rivers Authority to see if RtL could assist with their tree planting targets for Water Management.

The Trees for Water Scheme in partnership with the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group SW (FWAGSW) and the Woodland Trust has been running for three years and is about to enter its fourth. 

Carrie told Somerset’s Alive!: “So far we have planted approximately 80k trees and shrubs as woodland and hedgerows and enabled 200 different landowners to plant.

“Mendip Council have also provided funds for tree planting.  Mendip is uniquely vulnerable to Ash dieback, the Ash tree being a dominant species on the Mendip Hills. 

“We have enabled small landowners to access our expertise, trees and support to try and increase tree cover here. 

“We have supported two agroforestry schemes where crops and animals are interspersed with broad rows of trees and shrubs, providing much needed shade and shelter, water percolation and soil stabilisation.”

Moving forward, RtL have identified other areas they would like to develop.

Carrie said: “We are also interested in supporting the growing of Nut and Fruit Orchards. Orchards have a tremendously important role to play in supporting biodiversity and the past decades have seen many lost.

“We have a growing number of volunteers who help at our Tree Nursery and with plantings and we are keen to grow this further strengthening our links to the people of Somerset.”