Join Dorset Wildlife Trust and the Dorset Countryside team on December 3 to make your mark in creating a brand new woodland that will stand for generations to come.

This community event aims to make a real difference to local conservation, by planting native trees to create a new habitat for wildlife and an enjoyable new environment for the community.

The Wild About Weymouth and Portland partnership is planting 500 native trees, with oak, ash, hazel and hawthorn being among the species that will be added to Horselynch Plantation.

The extension of this woodland is part of the mitigation for land lost during the construction of the Weymouth Relief Road. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Lorton Meadows nature reserve will double in size, linking to Lodmoor Nature Reserve and Country Park and creating a diverse wildlife-friendly habitat for both people and wildlife within the borough.

Samantha Dallimore, community conservation officer for Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “The woodland already supports a great deal of wildlife including rare noctule bats, green and great spotted woodpeckers and speckled wood butterflies.

“You feel a real sense of achievement after planting a tree – even more so as you watch the woodland grow, walk through it and know that you have contributed to this amazing habitat.”

This opportunity to be involved in woodland creation has been made available to everyone by Wild About Weymouth and Portland, a partnership between Dorset Wildlife Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Dorset Countryside and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

The project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund through Natural England’s Access to Nature programme, to encourage people to discover, enjoy and help conserve the borough’s wonderful natural environment. The Community Tree Planting event will take place on Saturday, December 3, 10am till 3pm, at the northern end of Horselynch Plantation, known locally as Teddy Bear Woods (SY684824).

No experience is needed, as advice will be given and all equipment, including tools, gloves and trees, will be provided.

The nearest parking will be in Louviers Road near Top Club, Littlemoor, Weymouth.

Follow the arrows to the planting site. Alternatively the site can be accessed on foot from Southdown Avenue. For more please contact Samantha Dallimore on sdallimore@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk or call 01305 816546.