A grassroots project will see residents of Gloucestershire planting saplings to replace the hundreds of thousands being lost to a deadly fungal disease.
Ash dieback is a fungal disease which, according to the Woodland Trust, will kill up to 95 per cent of all ash trees in the UK.
This endangers species dependent on ash, including owls, woodpeckers, and the nuthatch, as well as the lesser stag beetle.
BBC Radio Gloucestershire and Cotswold Conservation Board will lead an 'army of volunteers', who will take it upon themselves to grow at least 2,020 trees at home throughout the coming year.
The scheme, called 'Ourboretum', was launched on July 6, and will see Gloucestershire residents replacing dead ash trees with beech, hazel and oak trees.
BBC Radio Gloucestershire communities journalist Chris Sandys said: "Our landscape is part of what makes Gloucestershire such a great place to live and it'll be so sad to see it torn apart by ash dieback.
"But tying our communities with our countryside is a thrilling prospect. Ourboretum is about getting people from all over Gloucestershire outside, enjoying our country and growing together for the good of the next generation.
"We plan to grow at least 2,020 trees in 2020 and we need your help."
How to get involved:
- Volunteers will be asked to collect seeds, during autumn using the guidance available online
- For more information and tips on growing seeds at home, click here to visit the Ourboretum page
- The saplings will be planted across the county next winter (2021/22)
- BBC Radio Gloucestershire and the AONB will identify locations where the fledgling trees can be planted and aim to log each one with a permanent record of where they are growing