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Prince William rolled up his sleeves during a visit to rural South Wales, where he planted a tree and learned about work being carried out to reduce the risk of flooding. During the engagement, the Prince jokingly remarked that “a pint of cider a day keeps the doctor away.”
The future king planted a Welsh Oak while hearing how farmers in the area have restored a traditional cider orchard. The initiative forms part of a wider ambition to plant one million native trees throughout the region.
Farmers Jim and Kate Beavan explained that they had replanted apple trees on a north-facing hillside. Because the trees flower later in that location, they are more likely to avoid the final frost of the season, helping them produce better-quality fruit. Kate also works as a woodland creation officer for the charity Stump Up for Trees, which has planted around 500,000 trees locally over the past five years.
William, who is known to enjoy cider, appeared impressed by the couple’s efforts. However, he made clear that he would limit himself to just one pint of their homemade Great Tre Rhew cider, joking that “it’s eight per cent!”
The Prince was visiting Great Tre Rhew Farm, near White Castle in Monmouthshire, to see how the charity is creating shelter belts across the hills. These strips of woodland provide protection for livestock while also helping soil absorb and retain more water, which can reduce flooding risks. They can additionally act as natural firebreaks.
The importance of the project has become increasingly apparent following recent extreme weather. Storm Claudia caused the nearby River Monnow to overflow its banks last year, resulting in substantial damage across the surrounding area. During the summer, wildfires also badly affected hillsides around nearby Blaenavon, further highlighting the potential benefits of the charity’s work.
William took a hands-on approach during the visit, planting a young tree himself on the designated stretch of land. As he walked towards a hole that had already been prepared, the Prince joked: “Here’s one I made earlier”.
He then lowered the sapling into position before using his hands to spread soil around its base. Looking at the newly planted tree, William said: “Hopefully that will be nice and tall. It’s in a good spot, it’s got lots of space.”
The Prince was also told that his Welsh Oak would have a notable neighbour. Nearby stands a Rowan tree previously planted by former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.
William’s sapling had been cultivated from seed by Stump Up For Trees. The charity operates its own nursery, where around 135,000 locally grown young trees are currently being raised for planting in future projects.
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Earlier in the engagement, William joined volunteers gathering seeds from a Field Maple tree, reaching among its branches to collect seeds that will eventually be added to the charity’s nursery.
The Prince appeared to enjoy the task, describing the activity as a relaxing experience. “There’s nothing more calming and therapeutic,” he said while working alongside the volunteers.
William also joked that his height gave him an advantage when it came to reaching some of the less accessible branches. “I’m a bit taller than the rest of you so I should be reaching up here for some of these higher ones.”
During the visit, he learned that volunteers have set themselves an ambitious target of gathering 60,000 seeds this autumn, a significant increase from the 35,000 collected last year.
Following the visit, Dr Jenny Knight, director of Stump Up For Trees, praised William for taking a genuine interest in both the environmental challenges facing the region and the practical measures being developed to address them.
“He’s obviously so interested and invested in what’s going on and what’s happening. It’s great that he is looking at not just the problems but the solutions as well. And it was lovely for him to just come and join in with the volunteers and be really down to earth and normal about what we’re doing.”
William was accompanied during the engagement by Joe Haseley, Farming and Nature Programme Manager for the Duchy of Cornwall. His involvement in the visit provided an opportunity to learn more about the charity’s approach and explore how its work could offer ideas for future land regeneration projects across the Duchy estate.
Jenny stressed that sharing expertise between organisations and land managers is essential if meaningful progress is to be made in tackling problems such as wildfires and flooding.
“That knowledge exchange is so valuable,” she said. “We’’ve got to work together across catchments if we’re going to have an impact on fire and flooding. If we’re not taking an integrated approach, we’re not going to make any change. Yeah, and I didn’t say that to the prince. He was he was saying that to me. So it’s great that at that level, like he can see those different things and is trying to support people. Yeah, like a tiny organization like ours.”
Stump Up For Trees began with the efforts of Keith Powell, a sixth-generation farmer based in the Black Mountains. His original ambition was to plant 135,000 native trees across 64 acres of common land.
Powell subsequently persuaded other farmers in the surrounding area to participate, allowing the initiative to expand considerably. The organisation has since developed into a charity supported by around 500 volunteers.
