Half a million trees planted with farmers in five years

Stephen Price

An innovative project to restore woodland landscape on a barren Welsh mountain is celebrating an important milestone this month – with half a million native trees now planted.

Stump Up For Trees is an ambitious, community-based charity focused on woodland creation, enhancing biodiversity and safeguarding farming livelihoods in the Bannau Brycheiniog National PArk.

In 2017, Keith Powell, a seventh generation Black Mountains Farmer, initiated the project and set about planting 135,000 native broadleaf trees on unproductive, bracken-covered common land on Bryn Arw.

The farmer-focused, community-led woodland creation charity, has now hit the 500,000 native, broadleaved trees target in just five years—a landmark in its mission to restore degraded landscapes and build resilient ecosystems for future generations.

Working in partnership with Welsh farmers and communities of local volunteers, as well as stakeholder organisations and businesses that share their mission, the charity is transforming marginal agricultural and poor ecological ground into thriving, carefully designed treescapes that deliver lasting environmental and economic benefits.

From upland farms to lowland river valleys, these new woodlands, hedgerows, shelter belts and areas of wood pasture are already creating vital biodiversity corridors, improving habitats for wildlife, and contributing to catchment-scale natural flood management. At the same time, they are helping to sequester carbon, improve soil health, and enhance water and air quality.

Unlike many tree-planting initiatives, Stump Up For Trees places a strong emphasis on long-term success, not just planting numbers.

From growing their own saplings in a start-up Community Nursery in the Black Mountains through to an extensive maintenance and monitoring programme, the charity ensures that trees become established and continue to thrive—creating a legacy that will have a positive impact for generations.

The charity’s work is powered by a dedicated network of volunteers and landowners. To date, trees have been planted across 250 farms and small holdings, with volunteers of all ages —from to 83—playing a hands-on role in shaping their landscape.

Stump Up For Trees is working towards an ambitious target of planting one million native broadleaf trees, continuing to expand its impact across the region through collaboration, innovation and a deep commitment to place-based solutions.

Rob Penn, author and co-founder, added: “What started with a conversation in a local pub with my neighbour has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined.

“Reaching this milestone of 500,000 trees is a display of the power of people when they come together—but it’s also just the beginning.”

Dr Keith Powell, sixth-generation Black Mountains farmer, vet and co-founder of the charity, said: “Working with the farming community is in our DNA. Everything we do is about supporting farmers to integrate trees in ways that strengthen both the environment and agricultural productivity.

“Reaching half a million trees shows what’s possible when farmers are part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crises.”

Dr Jenny Knight, General Manager, said: “This milestone belongs to our volunteers and our farmers. It shows that local, community-driven action can deliver real, measurable impact.

“Half a million trees is not just a number—it represents habitats restored, flood risks reduced and a more resilient landscape for the future.”

Find out more about Stump Up For Trees here.

Buy from their shop or make a donation to help support their work here.