Amazon Doncaster team supports tree-planting project

The Million Tree Challenge is an ambition that seeks to plant a million trees across the city by 2031. It is open for all to contribute to – individuals, schools, businesses, community groups, families, landowners, and public organisations.

Cleaning air, mitigating floods, helping wildlife, and tackling climate change remain key priorities for the council, and they aim to contribute to this through a continued support for planting and maintaining trees across the city. Almost 400,000 trees have now been planted across Doncaster since previous baseline reports.

Grant Goldspink, one of the Amazon employees who was involved in the event, said: “It was great working on this with team-mates and the council’s Countryside and Woodland Ranger team. We planted more than 1,300 trees and I’m excited to see the positive impact this has on our local environment.”   

Edward Radford, the Ranger who worked with Amazon volunteers on their day of tree planting, said: “It’s a real joy to work with the team at Amazon in Doncaster iPort! It’s refreshing to see such a large and busy organisation acknowledging, taking accountability, and offsetting their environmental impact through the planting of trees on their site. These trees will create nurturing habitat spaces for nesting birds and indispensable pollinators, clean air for Doncaster residents, and peaceful spaces for employees and residents to relax in.”

Just under half the trees were planted as part of a Miyawaki-style ‘tiny forest’, which is a dense plantation of 600 trees in a 200m2 area. Biomass is added to the site during excavation (which loosens the soil for the roots) to support growth, and the close proximity of trees stimulates the natural competition to encourage rapid growth and establishment. The remaining 774 trees were planted to create a woodland walk area and establish a new hedgerow.

Deputy Mayor of Doncaster, Cllr Glyn Jones, added: “Having green, tree-filled environments can make a huge impact on the quality of life of Doncaster residents, right across the city. The team had a great day with the volunteers from Amazon, working together to continue to make a positive, sustainable contribution to our city. My thanks go to all the volunteers involved for their commitment and support.” 

This past tree planting season, volunteers from Amazon have helped plant 3,773 trees across Doncaster. In addition to iPort planting, these have been planted in woodland creation projects in Skellow and Toll Bar, in a community orchard in Conisbrough, and a Miyawaki forest in a Cantley school.

These trees were paid for by national charities, the Woodland Trust and Trees for Cities, and by DEFRA’s Coronation Living Heritage Fund.

In 2022, Amazon UK committed £2.8 million to tree planting initiatives, including the Woodland Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund (ETF). The ETF awarded grants to local authorities to plant trees, creating green space in local communities who lack access to such spaces and are most impacted by pollution.

Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded the Multibank initiative with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need. The initiative has donated more than 7 million surplus goods to over 600,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, London, Tees Valley and Birmingham.  

Amazon has supported more than one million students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good. 

Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.