Volunteers use trees as flood protection
Cumbria has experienced more than its fair share of flooding in recent years, but volunteers are hoping that their actions can put a stop to such disasters.
According to garden and greenhouse body the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), 2,000 locally-sourced trees are being used to shore up riverbanks and lakesides to help reduce the risk of flooding.
The move comes after similar experiments on farms in Wales revealed that trees can make a marked difference in such areas.
Roots help bind the soil together to limit erosion, while the trees themselves soak up excess water to help reduce the impact heavy rain might have.
The volunteers chose species such as the moisture-loving willow and alder to plant along the banks of the Derwent and Greta rivers at nine different locations in Cumbria.
Meanwhile, a similar government-funded project in North Yorkshire will see the Forestry Commission plant 15,000 trees over two years to help slow the flow of water coming off the moors.
In other news, a complete Roman village has been found under an RHS-recommended park in London, the organisation reported.