Eco-friendly Llangunnor's trees take root!

An eco-friendly Carmarthen community is behind a huge tree planting operation, as part of an ambitious drive to offset its carbon footprint.
Two thousand trees have been planted in Llangunnor under new moves to help the environment and safeguard it for future generations.
The Community Council is behind the scheme which it hopes will help it achieve the status of a zero carbon authority.
The project has been widely praised by county sustainability chiefs who are working to educate residents about how they can reduce carbon emissions and help the planet.
Research in Llangunnor showed that 2,000 trees needed to be planted to absorb the carbon emissions caused by the street lights the authority is responsible for.
The council secured funding under the Tidy Towns scheme, and residents and Coed Cymru got to work planting eight different species in four locations in the community.
Trees including wild cherry, silver birch, rowan, oak, field apple and crab apple can now be seen taking root across the area.
Some 300 were planted by pupils at the primary school and another 600 at the park. 
A further 1,100 were planted in roadside locations along the former route of the A48 at Nantycaws and the A484 at Pibwrlwyd.
Chair of the community council Cllr Alun West said: “We are working to become a carbon zero council and this project will help us to achieve that goal. There was less woodland than there has been historically in the community and this has had an effect on wildlife and plants. 
“Planting the new woodlands can help by providing new habitats for birds, mammals, insects and plants, improve diversity and make the landscape a richer and more varied place.”
The project has been supported by Carmarthenshire County Council, Llangunnor primary school and Menter Cwm Gwendraeth. 
Leaflets about it are now being distributed throughout the community and interpretation panels have been put up at the school and playing fields.
Carmarthenshire’s Sustainability champion Cllr Pam Palmer said: “In Carmarthenshire we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and I am thrilled that communities like Llangunnor are playing such an important role. This inspirational project is an example for others to follow. Not only will it have an impact on carbon emissions but it will improve the local environment, bringing benefits to residents and visitors alike. I congratulate everyone involved.”