Residents in Hitchin and across North Hertfordshire are being encouraged to help make the county greener after the launch of this year's Your Tree Our Future scheme, which is offering a record 100,000 free trees.

Run by Hertfordshire County Council in partnership with the county's current ten district and borough councils and local charities, the annual initiative gives residents the chance to plant trees at home to support wildlife, improve air quality and help tackle climate change.

This year's scheme is the biggest yet, with at least 100,000 trees available free of charge while stocks last.

Residents can apply for up to five individual native trees, choosing from eight species suited to Hertfordshire's landscape, including silver birch, rowan, hazel and wild cherry. Alternatively, applicants can request four trees alongside a hedgerow pack containing enough saplings to create around six metres of new hedgerow.

Councillor Paul Zukowskyj, Hertfordshire County Council's Executive Member for Environment, Transport and Growth, said: "Planting a tree is one of the simplest yet most meaningful actions residents can take to support our environment.

"Not only do trees help reduce carbon in our atmosphere, but they also create greener, healthier places to live – boosting wellbeing, supporting wildlife, and helping our communities adapt to the challenges of climate change."

He added that the county had exceeded its previous target of planting 101,000 trees by helping to establish more than 126,000 trees through the scheme and other initiatives, with a new ambition of reaching 150,000 trees this year.

The scheme has already helped residents, businesses and community groups plant more than 287,000 trees since it launched in 2022, with organisers hoping this year's expanded giveaway will make an even greater contribution to improving biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions.

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Successful applicants will receive an email confirming their allocation, along with details of their local collection point. Trees will be available for collection in early December, with the main countywide collection day taking place on Saturday 5 December.

Applications are now open and residents can apply via Hertfordshire County Council's Your Tree Our Future webpage.