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Community-supported woodland creation

The Coal2Canopy initiative aims for coalfield communities to plant trees and hedgerows over degraded areas of nearby former opencast sites and coal tips, reconnecting with - and improving - access to quality green space in South Wales.

How it works

  • Landowners identify a degraded area of their site that has public access and was opencast for coal mining within the past 16 years or contains a coal tip near to inhabitants. There is no financial cost to the landowner to participate and Coal Action Network will be their single point of contact.
  • We take on coordinating funding arrangements, implementation partners, surveys, insurance, aftercare, and local community engagement and participation.
  • We will take photos, drone fly-over videos, and quotes from participants - shared with the landowner for evaluation and ESG purposes.

Coal2Canopy aims

  1. Accelerate and improve ecological recovery over degraded opencast sites and coal tips.
  2. Improve access to quality green space for surrounding communities, supporting mental health and physical wellbeing.
  3. Engage local communities, particularly young people, in their heritage and local environment, and encourage safe behaviours on these sites.

How to participate

We are in conversation with landowners to identify areas and obtain permission. We already have key implementation partners on board and ready to go. Are you a land-owner of a former opencast coal mine site, or coal tip, that would benefit from woodland planting? Or are you a local community group based near such a site? We want to hear from you! Get in contact with "Coal2Canopy" in the subject header.

ACTIONS & NEWS

Ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine quietly becomes a massive reservoir
March 27th 2024

Coal Action Network’s drone footage on Monday 11th March raised the alarm bell about the rising water levels. With this footage, a local resident informed Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council of the rising water levels, only to be told…

New research: coal mine restoration in Wales
December 13th 2022

This report combines field and desk-based research to shine a light on the continuing failure of Local Planning Authorities to honour promises made to local communities about how and when opencast coal mines would be restored. The research finds that mining…

Webinar on restoration in South Wales
November 28th 2022

This webinar marks the launch of a report, ‘Coal Mine Restoration in South Wales’, revealing the injustices surrounding of 7 opencast coal mines in South Wales…

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