Big tree-planting ambition for the capital

Trees capture CO2 from the air, they promote well-being and they provide shelter. 

These are some of the reasons behind Tórshavn City Council’s new ambition to plant thousands of new trees across the municipality this year.

“Tórshavn City Council has been a frontrunner for many years when it comes to planting trees,” says Marin Katrina Frýdal, who heads the City Council’s town planning committee.

“Our plant package initiative, where citizens have been given a package with all the ingredients to plant their own plants and trees, has been a huge success for many years.”

Growing ambitions

But now the City Council wants to expand its tree-planting activities, aiming to plant 10,000 new trees across the municipality.

Some 2,500 trees will be planted in and around the new graveyard in the Hoyvík district, and new trees will also be added to the existing ones at the Velbastaðvegur graveyard.

“Trees have obvious environmental benefits, but another benefit is that property prices tend to go up if there are trees in the area,” says Frýdal.

The Faroese climate is not ideal for growing trees, but the council is working closely with local arborists to ensure that only tree types that can survive harsh weather will be planted.

Translated by prosa.fo