To mark 100 years of championing the countryside, CPRE Avon & Bristol is launching a £10,000 public crowdfunder to create a new Centenary Woodland Grove just south of Bristol. The initiative will see 100 native trees planted as part of the Great Avon Wood and the Hedgerow Heroes campaign.

The site, located off Parsonage Lane near the A37, will be open to the public year-round, offering an opportunity to witness the woodland’s growth over time and its impact on local biodiversity.

The grove is being created to honour the landscapes CPRE has worked to protect since 1926 and to inspire a new generation of countryside custodians. Every donation to the campaign supports the planting of native trees including hazel, hawthorn, wild pear, bird cherry and rowan. The site will be designed as a rich, varied habitat, providing food, shelter and nesting opportunities for birds, bats, hedgehogs and pollinators.

Natural history presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff is spearheading CPRE Avon and Bristol’s Centenary Woodland Grove and Hedgerow Crowdfunder Appeal to mark 100 years of protecting rural England. Join Miranda to learn more:

'A Concert for the Countryside'

In a powerful act of connection between culture and conservation, members of the Bristol Youth Orchestra will join local residents and volunteers to plant the grove on Saturday 1 March 2026, before returning to the stage later that month to perform in CPRE’s Centenary concert ‘A Concert for the Countryside’ at Bristol Beacon.

https://bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/cpre-and-byo/

Hedgerow Heroes

In addition to woodland creation, the crowdfunder will contribute to CPRE’s long-term hedgerow restoration efforts. The Hedgerow Heroes campaign aims to plant or lay 10 kilometres of hedgerow by spring 2027; to date, the charity has restored 6.42 kilometres, with further public support essential to reaching its goal.