An eco-friendly project has been launched to create extensive pieces of oak woodland across the region.

David Gray, a landscape gardener, has been collecting acorns from the community with a plan to plant them on a large scale.

The 46-year-old said: "The aim of it is to start putting part of the country back to what it was like many years ago before everybody started filling every available piece of land up with buildings with.

"They are just destroying areas and the idea was to figure out a way we could fight back."

The project has been initially funded by friend and local businessman, Gareth Maclachlan.

Mr Gray, a father-of-four of East Bergholt, has been helped by pupils at the village primary school, who have collected acorns.

At the moment, the acorns are stored in his garage.

The project is called Oaklore and is designed to start producing woodlands of local oaks, instead of strains of the species bought in from Scotland or elsewhere in Europe.

Mr Gray said: "This ensures the new woodland attracts a diverse eco-system of native insects and wildlife, as imported oaks fail to support the range of insects which are required to attract birds and other animals."

He estimates that each acre of land will be able to support 4,000 oaks.

  • Anyone who has a suitable area of land is asked to contact Mr Gray on 01206 326943.
  • More in tomorrow's Gazette