Almost 30,000 trees are to be planted on the McLaren and Phillipstown Tips this winter.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Countryside and Landscape Services are working with the communities of Abertysswg and Phillipstown to plant the trees.
The scheme, funded by the Forestry Commission and Welsh Government, under their “Plant!” initiative aims to plant a tree for every child born or adopted in Wales.
To kick start the schemes on the McLaren and Phillipstown Tips, children at Abertysswg and Philipstown Primary schools were asked to design a logo to encapsulate what the new woodlands of Coed McLaren and Coed Syfi would mean to them.
Local councillors from each ward attended each prize giving ceremony where prizes were given out to the winning logo designs that the children had created. The prizes varied from a digital camera to £50 shopping vouchers and a skateboard with safety equipment.
The winners at Abertysswg Primary School were Evan Eccleston, ten, who took first prize. Thila Morris, ten, and Mitchell Burridge, nine, taking second and third respectively.
The winners at Phillipstown Primary School were ten-year-old Cole McDonald, who took first prize, Thomas Evans, ten, winning second prize and Ben Powell, nine claiming third.
Cllr Ken James, cabinet member for regeneration,planning and sustainability, said:“This fantastic project will enable the children to feel a real sense of ownership over the forests in their community. Having been involved from the beginning, with many of the younger children having had trees planted for their birth, the children will be able to see the woods growing with them and will become advocates for caring for their local environment.”
The winning designs were adapted by the council’s graphic designers and will be used on stone features at the main entry points to both sites and on way markers and other advertising throughout both sites.
Carol Travers, project officer from the Forestry Commission, said: “All the trees planted in the two new woodlands will bring visitors to the valley from all across the South Wales area.”