Frequently Asked Questions

We selected 9 trees based on the number required to ‘balance’ the average UK citizen’s carbon consumption each year, so we plant 9 trees per person, per year when you subscribe.

The two directors are volunteering their time for set up and the first year. We have some initial funding from Bristol UWE and two private investors for specific projects.

Currently, we rely on pro bono work, if you would like to support us, please get in touch here. We also rely on Subscriptions and Donations to fund tree planters, materials and surveyors.

We are grassroots so we rely on you sharing us to your friends and family and work colleagues and talking about wherever you go!

9Trees finds or are approached by altruist landowners who give 9Trees stewardship of the land for 50 years. An ecological survey is conducted to decide if the land will benefit more from planting trees than its current state. Once confirmed that the site will benefit from a native broadleaf woodland, 9Trees sources local tree planters to plant the trees.

Businesses and individuals subscribe, donate or buy gifts to help balance their carbon emissions. 9Trees will allocate your trees in one of the woodland sites and you will receive a tree certificate as well as a walkabout information site should you wish to visit the woodland site (land access subject to landowners discretion).

Individuals, businesses, councils, schools.

We use the word ‘balancing’ instead of ‘off-setting’ as we believe the latter has become somewhat of a dirty word. Some companies have exploited the terminology, others have used it to pocket cash and some companies have done both. The use of the word ‘balancing’ also refers to our focus on biodiversity and re-balancing not only UK woodlands but all of the wildlife that call it home.

Absolutely. We encourage people to consider thier impact from thier entire time on this planet. You can make a donation via the People or Donation page of our website.

We wanted to sign land agreements for longer than 50 years, however, what we found is that people were reluctant to sign anything longer. A 50 year agreement is already a long time and we found this was the limit people were willing to go to.

This works from a tree planting perspective because by then the trees/woodland is established and that is our main aim, to create nature rich biodiverse woodlands.

Currently as things stand we cannot fully control what happens to the trees after 50 years. What we can control is the people/landowners that we work with. These are genuine people who share our vision and want to do something to help tackle climate change.

Some landowners have said that when they pass they will leave the land to 9Trees, allowing us complete control of these sites.

With the others, we are developing a long lasting relationship and as we are the ones managing the woodlands we can influence what happens after 50 years.

As the years go on we expect to sign longer agreements, to buy our own land or buy the sites we have planted, but we need to be more established first as an organisation as we are still in the grassroots stage. The longer we have been around the more people will trust our organisation and brand as they will be able to physically see our sites grow and be managed.

Our aim is attributing the trees to individuals and educating people that you need 9 trees per year to offset 9 tonnes of carbon over the course of the trees life. A typical UK resident uses 11 Tonnes of carbon per year, so we also want people to become carbon neutral, and because there is 2x as much carbon in the atmosphere we also need to keep drawing that down and the best way to do this is through growing a tree.

At 9Trees we plant in the UK. We geolocate people’s trees and will keep them up to date with their progress. We will also update our subscribers as and when management takes place and take photos when the trees become mature. As we plant 9 trees per person per year we will create woodlands wherever landowners, community groups and councils have space for them.

A carbon credit is a permit that allows the company that holds it to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. One credit permits the emission of a mass equal to one ton of carbon dioxide. 9Trees doesn’t buy or sell carbon credits.

No. Currently we do not register sites with the WCC or Gold Standard, however, if your business requires official offsets, speak with us about designating a site. We want to keep it personal and not Green Washing, working with us can help your CSR ESG!

We love to work with others, however we need to ensure that we do not double up on carbon sequestration/ funding etc.

We plant in the UK. We hope to have a plantation in every county by 2025. So far we have reached 7 counties over 10 sites - 4 counties in Wales and 3 in England.

5 in Powys, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, Anglesey, Ceredigion with 50 landowners on a waiting list from Scotland to Cornwall!

We have planted 1,2915 Trees by January 2023 and we will plant another 5,000 by December 2023. With further support we will be able to plant 100,000 trees.

We plant a mixture of the following trees: Oak, Hazel, Birch, Hawthorn, Willow, Wild Cherry, Rowan mixed in with Guelder Rosa, Alder, Blackthorn, Dog Wood and Spindle. We only plant native broadleaf trees. We carry out an ecological survey before we consider planting any trees on a site, and plant a mixture of species that will survive specific to that site.

They come from sustainable permaculture growers and from the Land worker’s alliance:

• Prees Heath Nurseries

• Maelor Forest Nurseries

We only buy trees after funding for each project has been half found, and hope that the rest of the funds will come in from you spreading the word to friends, family and colleagues!

No. Each site has its own blend of native broadleaf trees which have been chosen based on the findings of the ecological survey.

One of the main aims of 9Trees is to plant new woodlands, rather than planting over existing woodland. We are looking into Agroforestry and Silviculture schemes.

Our intention is not to harvest (clear fell a site) to then replant. We plant a mix of native species with the view that they will become native broadleaf woodlands. What we do support is sustainable felling for the good of the ecology and structure of the woodlands. We don’t have the large herbivores and carnivores moving freely across the UK managing the woodlands as once would have happened in the past. Humans have always influenced woodlands and we support sustainable woodland management and craft.

For this to be sustainable in terms of carbon storage, the trees being harvested do lock away the carbon but they need to then be used in a way that ensures the carbon remains locked away. So cutting for firewood isn’t the answer but cutting for timber frame building is, if the timber is being used locally.

Tree planting season is from November to April. Planting a tree at other times of the year is not good for the tree. Our planting is dependent on weather conditions, ground conditions and availability of the tree planters etc.

We only use environmental and conservation contractors, who have been vetted for their care and skill.

Your £10 for a tree =
£2 tree +
£2 labour to plant +
£2 stakes & guards +
£2 9Trees Pre-management - Ecologists etc. +
£2 Management for 50 years insurance and you to visit

For businesses, the extra £5 helps us reach more individuals and keep the price manageable for the whole of the UK to sign up!

Shelterbelts are rows of trees, usually along fence lines. They are planted mainly to protect animals or crops from cold winds, but also to give shade in hot weather. In regions such as Canterbury where there is a lot of cultivated land, shelterbelts also reduce wind erosion.

Agroforestry is a land management approach that combines trees and shrubs with crop and livestock farming systems.

Our sites are members only so sign up and receive a woodland walkabout sheet!

We do not want landowners' addresses or any location identifiable materials being made available for the public. e.g. in the case of any pictures taken for promotional reasons these should not include identifiable landmarks such as the hill or the church and any GPS location tagging should be removed from the pictures.

That said we are happy for pictures of the site to be used on websites or social media such as Facebook or whatever the kids are using nowadays providing the above considerations are observed. For members who may wish to visit the site where their trees are planted, of course the address can be provided as long as we can agree on some wording about how and when the site can be accessed.

Only volunteers and subscribers can visit the woodlands, however in the future we would like to open up woodlands to non subscribers to visit for an open day, but this will be at the landowners discretion.

Subscribers are able to visit their trees as soon as they are planted and have received the certificate indicating it’s location, as well as the walkabout sheet that outlines any site restrictions. Both volunteers and subscribers can also visit sites when we host events like ecology surveying, eco-therapy, creative writing and more.

Absolutely, anything you donate goes towards employing people and planting new woodland in the UK. You could go to our Trees for People page to find out the payment options we offer.

We send out Newsletters on a 6 week - 2 monthly basis. We let subscribers know where their trees are and we send out a certificate.

If you are an annual subscriber, we aim to send your certificate out within 5 working days of the payment being received. If you are a monthly subscriber, we aim to send your certificate 5 working days after your 12th payment.

At the moment the money goes towards:

• the cost of a site survey

• legal advice for the contract between us and the landowner

• trees

• fencing

• ongoing management of the site & trees for 50 years

• tree planters, insurance and business costs

• website, online payment fees

• staff time

Our main focus is on the trees and paying people a fair wage for the work they do for us. 9Trees has a long-term vision. We make sure that trees grow and we will replant if they fail in the first 2 years.

Your subscription auto-renews annually. You are able to cancel any subscription within 14 days of the renewal date.

If you are a monthly subscriber, we will provide you with your final certificate. Please note that you will only receive a certificate if 6 out of 12 payments have been made in a year. Your certificate will not be for the full 9 trees but for the amount of trees paid for. 3 payments each year of the monthly subscription covers admin costs, maintenance, monitoring and research costs.

If you are an annual subscriber, your certificate is produced within 5 working days and your trees planted/ allocated straight away so your subscription can be cancelled at any time. To cancel your subscription please do so through the Squarespace payment website.

Carbon Offsetting compensates for the carbon emissions an individual creates each year. Reducing your carbon emissions should always be considered first. A zero-carbon lifestyle isn’t *yet* within reach for most of us, as we live in a modern world. This is why we offer carbon offsetting. Understanding your emissions is a good first step.

You can use the following link from WWF, https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

You can help us grow our subscribers in your area by sharing 9Trees with people you know. Maybe you know a landowner who wants to get involved with us. We also have volunteering opportunities to work within the business. Please email info@9trees.org for more information.

We love the support of our volunteers! Can you commit 1-5 hours / week of your time working flexibly from home or in your local area to support us? Do you have any particular knowledge or skill which could add value to 9Trees? Are you skilled in fundraising, social media or project managing? Would you like to join the Eco Matting Volunteer days (currently happening in Powys, Wales)?

Contact us on info@9trees.org to tell us about yourself, about any relevant skill you have and which role you are applying for.

Visit our Practical Volunteering page for all the latest information.

We want to create sustainable jobs in the conservation sector so we pay our tree planters. Our tree planters are experienced and in order to reduce our environmental impact we try to use tree planters local to each woodland site. If you have tree planting experience please email info@9trees.org

The Kickstart scheme is a fantastic opportunity provided by the government to help young people aged 16 – 24 to gain valuable experience by funding the relevant national minimum wage for 25 hours a week.

This is aimed at young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The scheme allows businesses of all sizes to create new jobs and grow their businesses using government support.

When you get involved in planting trees as a business, you enhance your team’s positivity. This is a great opportunity to give a memorable reward, strengthen the bonds in your team and boost your colleagues’ well-being. You could for example plant a tree for each member of your team. We also offer a series of business subscriptions with different entry levels or we can create a bespoke package for you.

Probably. All landowners have to meet a certain criteria before we can consider planting a woodland on your land. We have to be efficient with our tree planting, please sign up through the landowners page. We do not plant 9 trees in your garden.

We don’t pay landowners. The landowners provide the land and we will cover the cost of the trees, stakes, guards, and fencing as well as the pre- and post-management of the woodland to ensure its longevity.

We do not use grants, we do everything for free, but no money changes hands between us and the landowner or government. All the trees and work is funded by subscribers and businesses.

The landowner can get funds from the government for new woodland, but not for planting the site, also the landowner cannot sell the carbon credits.

Yes, we like to impact and involve the local community in the projects we work with any landowner in a bespoke way from shelter belts to Orchards, from half an acre to hectares of Agroforestry and silviculture.

No, we want to work in partnership with landowners.

On average we expect around 30% of the trees that we plant to fail. However, as we closely monitor the sites through our Eco Matting events and landowner communication, we hope it will just be 10% as we ‘Beat-up’ the site and replant dead or severely damaged trees in the first 2 years of the initial tree planting.

Currently, we are asking landowners for a 50 year lease. This leaves the trees untouched for that period while receiving all the required maintenance and management. During 50 years all broadleaf species should have captured 1 tonne of carbon from the atmosphere. In the UK, after 50 years you are not permitted to change the land from woodland. We also specify that the trees will not be used for biofuel or firewood or sold for carbon credits.

We only work with landowners that share our vision. As soon as woodland is created it is afforded the protection under forestry regulations and applies to EIA legislation.

We ensure a conservation contractor plants the trees, in the correct months Nov - Feb and the right weather so the trees have the best chance of survival. During the next year volunteers and businesses are invited to do ‘EcoMatting’ around the trees, this include placing cardboard around the base, followed by woodchip or sheep’s wool, that suppresses the weeds and ensures the best chance of survival over the first 5 years. After 9 months we then check for any dead trees, which we replant.

Every year we visit the plantation and hope you will also let us know about any concerns on site.

After year 5 we will carry out intermittent visits, and may need to manage the woodlands in year 10, 25 and 40.

Over the course of this time sometimes fences need replacing, trees removed or management so that you can visit your trees. Styles, access and fallen branches.

Although our smaller woods will usually start at about 500 trees, which requires half an acre of land, we can plant on hectares, we do not plant on biodiverse land, peat or wildflower meadows, we usually plant on improved grassland.

To promote the maximum biodiversity and value to wildlife, our work involves creation of landscape features such as wildlife corridors, shelterbelts, wildlife hedges and connector belts which allow species to move from one habitat to another.

We have not yet planted a parkland, which is open grassland with scattered groups of trees.

But we are looking into the costs of this and gathering donations towards the first one.

We don’t fund the fencing unless mentioned and agreed upon on the contract, if a site has 3 fences and you really do not have funds to complete the site, we can look into this.

An ecological survey is the process whereby the proposed site is assessed to establish any environmental impact.

An ecological site survey will assess all areas of your site, and will likely encompass any considerations, issues or problems that will need to be addressed from an ecological standpoint. We will only plant on a site once an ecological survey has been completed and that the results of the survey suggest that a woodland is more beneficial that the current environment.

We gain stewardship of the land for 50 years initially. However, through building good working relationships with our landowners we hope that this time scale will extend and in some cases, the land has been given as a legacy to 9Trees, meaning that we now own the land that the trees are planted on.

After we have planted you can seek funds for acreage from the aforementioned.

However, you cannot sell the carbon credits or receive funds for planting and materials.

You could learn more about the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery Schemes here.