PEOPLE in Burnley were invited to sponsor a tree to help make the town a better place to live as part of the Forest of Burnley woodland project.

At the third annual festival, members of the Forest of Burnley project updated residents on progress.

The plan is to double Burnley's woodland cover, which, when the millennium commission funded project started, was just three per cent compared to a national average of ten per cent, and celebrate the new millennium by planting one million trees in and around the town.

People are asked to sponsor a tree. Assistant parks manager Simon Goff explained: "The tree could be to celebrate a child's birth, a birthday or remember a loved one.

"We will plant the tree and look after it, inform the sponsor where the tree is and give them a map. Trees can be sponsored for £1.50 for a woodland tree or £50 for a standard commemorative tree."

Thanet Lee Wood, next to Towneley Hall, was the setting for this year's woodland festival when traditional crafts such as hurdle making and bodging were demonstrated and there was story telling, music and folk bands. Simon said: "We were trying to demonstrate how woodland is being used and how woodland crafts still exist today."

Forest of Burnley woodlands officer Keith Wilson said: "We have already planted 180,000 trees and created 90 hectares of new woodland in and around Burnley and 1,400 individual specimen trees have been planted in towns, parks and open spaces."

The project also restores maintains existing woodland in the area through proper management and has involved every child from the age of six to 11 in planting their own tree.

Many of the new woodlands are on private land, but most are accessible by public footpaths and the project is also creating new footpaths and bridleways to open up the countryside.

On October 10 there will be a seed collection walk from the village square at Worsthorne at 10am to Houghton Hagg Wood. Seeds collected will be grown into native broad-leaved trees for planting in and around town.

For more information about the project contact Keith on 01282 839657.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.