The campaign, which launched at the end of 2020, invited applications from local households, schools, charity organisations, businesses and landowners who could request saplings or packets of wildflower seeds to plant in their gardens.

As a result, in February the council gave away 8,600 saplings, comprising a mix of native species, to residents and organisations across the borough.

Last week, the council posted packets of wildflower seeds to residents with smaller gardens, balconies and window boxes. These flowers will encourage bees and other insects into residents’ gardens, supporting the ecosystem and bringing nature into people’s lives.

Cllr Carolyn Healy, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment, said:

“We were blown away by the response to this campaign. It just shows how much our community values green spaces, and that they want to play their part in boosting biodiversity and addressing the climate emergency.

“We’re continuing to support the green agenda, including ‘meadow-cutting’ across many of our green spaces to encourage biodiversity

“Trees are a vital means to capture carbon, and while the borough already has over 15 million trees, planting more will help lock up the carbon, create new habitats for wildlife and help improve our health, wellbeing and community spirit.

“Telford & Wrekin Council made a commitment in 2020 that our operations would be carbon neutral by 2030, with an aspiration that the whole borough meet that same target, so we’re absolutely delighted and hugely grateful that our community is pulling together to help us hit that goal.”