Starting Our Journey With Wanderlands
At Coalbrook, our team are passionate about commencing our sustainability journey and placing nature at the heart of a long-term, holistic sustainability strategy for the business. We are delighted to be involved with our first nature-based initiative created and managed by Wanderlands (www.wanderlands.earth).
Wanderlands is an established environmental consultancy and pragmatic commercial partner that supports clients navigating the legislation and regulatory requirements to achieve carbon net zero. The company’s vision is to change the way people feel about sustainability; and its mission is to educate, restore and plant.
We are working with Wanderlands to deliver verifiable, credible carbon units that, alongside robust decarbonisation, will become an invaluable part of our long-term climate change strategy that is currently under development. As part of this strategy, we will be setting sustainability targets for the business, including carbon net zero in line with, or before, the UK’s 2050 net zero goal. We see woodland creation as an integral part of the journey to carbon net zero to sustainably offset the residual emissions of Coalbrook’s operations.
Woodland Creation at Winford Rocks
The first woodland creation project we are invested in is called Winford Rocks and is located approximately four miles from Bristol city centre. This pioneering nature-based initiative designed and implemented by Wanderlands, has transformed a disused limestone quarry into a biodiverse native broadleaf woodland with circa 10,000 trees of 35 species.
We sponsor an area of native broadleaf woodland within the site which will absorb greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, while also providing a biodiverse ecosystem for vital flora, fauna, and pollinators to thrive. At Coalbrook, we believe it’s important that the nature- based projects we invest in will boost people’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, enhance the well-being of local communities, and promote biodiversity.
About This Woodland Creation Project
Winford (Hartcliffe) Rocks is scientifically and thoughtfully designed with 35 species of trees and shrubs that each offer their own measurable ecological benefits. The woodland density and species mix planted vary across the site, which is separated into four zones due to the four broad soil types present across the site. Overall, there is a mix of major broadleaves, minor broadleaves, alternative broadleaves, and shrubs. As part of the climate resiliency aspect of the project, alternative broadleaf varieties were also chosen.
In line with the Forestry Commission Regulation, the site is registered under the Woodland Carbon Code to generate verified Woodland Carbon Units as the trees grow.
Winford Rocks will enhance local ecological resilience and biodiversity within the Southwest and is a finalist for the Nature-Based Project of the Year (2023) category, awarded by the UK Green Business Awards
The project will be managed long-term by Wanderlands, with inputs from partners and stakeholders including the Community Forests, Forestry Commission, Woodland Carbon Code and Natural England. Before planting and in line with the Forestry Commission Regulation, the site was registered under the Woodland Carbon Code to generate verified Woodland Carbon Units as the trees grow.