The national park authority has announced 20 sites across Sussex and Hampshire for the plantings as part of its target to plant 100,000 trees across the region.
The trees will replace those lost to pests and diseases, including ash dieback and Dutch elm disease, as well as creating new habitats for wildlife and providing new woodland for local communities.
Those being planted are a mixture of disease-resistant elms and native species, such as oak and black poplar, and sites include schools, farms, recreation grounds and historic parks.
More than £230,000 has been raised for the initiative, including a donation from the American Express Foundation which has funded 5,000 trees.
The project comes as research from the Woodland Trust shows that one third of all woodland species in the UK are in decline and one in 10 is at risk of extinction.
A batch of trees is being delivered this winter to Woodingdean Wilderness Group, Brighton.
Clare Millett Hopkins, chairwoman of the group, said: “We’ll be involving our community in a planting event to help plant out the 1,000 native deciduous trees in December.
“It is a lovely opportunity to bring everyone together, of all ages, to plant the trees and support our wildlife and build an appreciation for our natural environment.”
Nick Heasman, a countryside and policy manager for the national park, said: “Our tree-scape supports a wealth of wildlife, from rare insects to nesting birds and complex fungi.
“They also give us air to breathe, with a single mature tree producing enough oxygen in a year to sustain ten people.
“However, our wonderful trees are under unprecedented threat from an ever-increasing number of pests and diseases, as well as climate change.
“They’re under threat from climate change, but trees are also part of solution as the ultimate carbon capturer. The entire woodland ecosystem plays a massive role in locking up carbon, including the wood, roots, leaves, soils and associated plants.
“Increasing the number and diversity of our native trees, and carefully introducing new species into the landscape, is going to be a big help in responding to all these threats and also helping to reverse biodiversity loss.”
The full list of sites in Sussex where trees will be planted this winter is:
- Centenary Park, Peacehaven
- Cissbury Fields Community Orchard, Findon
- Compton County Farm Estate, Compton
- Lancing Ring, Woodland Expansion, Lancing
- Lavington Stud, Lavington Estate , Petworth
- Marden Farm, South Harting
- Park Farm, Arundel
- Singleton Accessibility Project, Singleton
- Sullington Manor Farm, Pulborough
- Wiblings Wetlands, Graffham
- Wilmington Crossroads, Wilmington
- Woodingdean Wilderness Group, Woodingdean
- Woodlands Farm, Patching
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