FENLAND residents are being urged to plant a tree in one special hour next month and help set a world record. That s the challenge issued this week by Fenland District Council. It is urging as many individuals, schools, businesses and community groups as

FENLAND residents are being urged to plant a tree in one special hour next month and help set a world record.

That's the challenge issued this week by Fenland District Council.

It is urging as many individuals, schools, businesses and community groups as possible to "muck in" on December 5 - and it is offering a free sapling to everyone who takes part.

The council has teamed up with BBC Breathing Places for "Tree O'Clock", a bid to beat the current Guinness World Record by planting more than 600,000 trees within a single hour across the UK.

To count towards the record attempt, every tree must be planted between 11am and noon.

Councillor Peter Murphy, the council's portfolio holder with responsibility for the environment, said: "Within Fenland we hope to plant more than 1,700 trees in gardens, parks and open spaces.

"This is a great chance for the whole community to do something fun and positive for our area, so grab your wellies, roll up your sleeves and come and help us set that new record."

There are three ways that people can get involved on the day:

• Help March Wildlife Group to plant 700 trees at Chain Bridge, north of March, at the junction of Elm Road and the Twenty Foot River. Digging will start at 11am, finishing at noon. Participants are urged to bring a spade.

• Join one of the council's Street Pride tree-planting events starting at 11am at Albert Drive Recreation Ground, March; Manea Pit; Parson Drove Village Hall Playing Field; Barton Road, Wisbech; and Meeks Cemetery, Chatteris.

• Plant trees of your own or as part of a group. Check out the Breathing Places website to see how to pledge the trees you're planting:

www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/treeoclock.

For more details, visit fenland.gov.uk/nature or www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/treeoclock, or call 01354 654231.

WHERE TO GET YOUR FREE TREE

FREE saplings are being given away at the following places in the run-up to the event:

Wisbech Community House, Southwell Road: Tuesday December 1, 10am-noon.

Chatteris Library: Tuesday December 1, 2-4.30pm.

March Library: Thursday December 3, 1.30-4pm.

Wisbech Rosmini Centre: Friday December 4, 9.30am-noon.

Whittlesey Library: Friday December 4, 9.30am-2.30pm.

All the free saplings are suitable for small gardens and include a mix of trees found across Fenland.