Will a Free Tree Do It?

Over the next 12 months, every Welsh household will be offered a free tree (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/06/free-tree-for-every-welsh-household-in-climate-initiative). The move is basically a climate initiative, as more trees (of the right kind), will remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Reducing this 'greenhouse gas', slows down climate change. Trees have other benefits, such as providing shade and increasing the biodiversity of insects and birds. The Welsh initiative seems to be well thought-out, as guidance will be given on what species of tree to plant and where. The tree can be allocated to a garden, if there is room, or be planted in a selected communal location. This seems a good idea but personal experience suggests it will have limitations. Decades ago, when I moved into a new-build house in Wales, everyone was offered a tree by the builders. Many people accepted a sapling. Some of the house holders (or the people who eventually replaced them), however, removed the tree, to increase parking areas for cars. Others, had the tree cut down because it obstructed their light, threatened their foundations or they simply objected to annually paying contractors to prune it. These occurences should not, of course, be used as reasons to abandon the initiative. It seems likely, however, that most of the new trees would be best sited on marginal land or areas given up by farmers. These areas would have to be protected from later development, to be really beneficial to the climate (trees are only helpful if they are in place for an extended period). It would also be possible to use mixtures of species in larger locations. This would maximise the biodiversity effects and increase the resilience of the new woodlands.