Volunteers including council staff, councillors and local residents came together in two sessions on 8 January and 19 March to plant over 300 saplings.

After the second session, a council spokesperson said: “We would like to thank councillors, residents and representatives of local groups and churches for their time on Saturday for helping plant so many saplings, with such enthusiasm.”

The saplings were provided by Ferndown Town Council to commemorate the Queen’s 70thJubilee and as they develop into a woodland copse they will reduce the council’s carbon footprint and help fulfil its aim of becoming carbon neutral.

As well as the creation of the new copse, the town council gave away 60 free saplings to residents in February and a further 95 are being offered for free collection before 25 March. These include blackthorn, rowan, goat willow and dog rose.