I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from the council.

1. Please tell me whether the council has undertaken any tree planting schemes as part of its work to tackle climate change and/or help reach net zero or improve air quality. Please tell me
a) When the tree planting scheme took place
The Tree Project, which was established in response to the Climate Emergency Action Plan delivered various planting schemes between November 2021 – March 2022.
b) How many trees were planted
15,500 trees were planted on sites across Wokingham between November 2021 – March 2022. Alongside hedgerows and woodland management, the trees planted have contributed towards offsetting an estimated 2,310 tCO2e. Council Officers worked with schools, local charities, community groups, private landowners and Town and Parish councils to provide support with carrying out planting schemes. In total, 17 schools had tree planting carried out on their school grounds which provided opportunity for students to participate with planting activities. Further details on the Tree Project and planting schemes that were delivered between November 2021 – March 2022 in response to the Climate Emergency can be found on Wokingham Engage.
c) How much the scheme cost
In July 2021, the Council was awarded £300,000 of grant funding from the Woodland Trust Emergency Tree Fund to contribute to the costs of delivering planting schemes in line with the Council’s CEAP. Of that £300,000 grant, approximately £27500 has been spent on delivering small scale planting schemes that were carried out between November 2021 – March 2022. Officers have been working with internal and external stakeholders to identify sites across the Borough that will be suitable for planting woodlands, hedgerows and orchards which will be funded by the remaining Woodland Trust grant. The Woodland Trust grant is in place until March 2024, so officers will be continuing to identify suitable planting sites for the next two planting seasons (November 2022 – March 2023 and November 2023 – March 2024) with larger planting schemes being delivered in the November 2023 – March 2024 planting season.
d) How many trees are still surviving
Trees that were planted in the November 2021 – March 2022 planting season are still within their establishment period. Any newly planted trees will take approximately 2-3 years to become established within their environment. Calculating a survival rate within this time frame is difficult as plants are still adjusting to their new environment. Officers are monitoring planting schemes that have been delivered through the Tree Planting Project to ensure plants are appropriately supported to achieve maximum survival rate.