The HS2 marked five years of tree planting after almost 1 million trees have been already planted in areas affected by the railway’s construction.

The high-speed railway’s tree project announcement comes on National Tree Week, and after the creation of 119 new habitat sites equal to 650 football pitches so far.  

To date, HS2 ecologists have planted around 845,000 trees, including in Buckinghamshire, while wildlife has taken up home in 2,000 bat boxes and 160 new ponds.

HS2 Ltd’s biodiversity lead David Prys-Jones said: “In this year’s National Tree Week, it’s fantastic to see our wildlife habitats thriving, but this is really just the beginning.

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“Over the coming years, our ecology contractors will continue to create more habitats to sustain healthy populations of UK flora and fauna, providing a network of bigger, better-connected, climate resilient habitats and new green spaces for wildlife and people to enjoy.”

Near the River Thame in Buckinghamshire, 14 ponds were created by the ecology company Thomson Environmental.

The ponds are surrounded by 5,000 aquatic plants, which were specifically selected to best support local wildlife.

Around 7,500 trees and almost 700 metres of hedgerow have been planted in the woodland, which now stands at 10 feet tall.

A range of wildlife has been already recorded passing through and foraging in the area, HS2 Ltd reported.

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