Valda Energy’s ongoing commitment to restoring Welsh landscapes with Stump Up for Trees

Valda Energy is proud to celebrate its fourth consecutive year partnering with Stump Up For Trees, a charity dedicated to restoring native woodland and supporting biodiversity across the Brecon Beacons and wider South Wales region. Our continued collaboration reflects Valda’s long‑term commitment to sustainability and community impact, with our contribution helping drive the charity’s progress towards planting one million trees. The Valda team joined fellow volunteers to plant 1,500 native broadleaved trees, an important hands-on milestone and further accelerates the charity’s ambitious reforestation goals.

Mo Filmore, one of Valda Energy’s volunteers involved in this year’s planting, reflected on her experience.

She described the morning as a promising start, with warm and sunny weather helping to ease any nerves. “I knew there would be an element of physical exertion, and I was a little apprehensive, but it was perfectly manageable. The weather definitely helped.”

The morning began with introductions to “Rachel Embury, and Dan Smith... the very delightful and knowledgeable Rob Penn” before learning the fundamentals of hedgerow planting. Mo explained, “We were given a demonstration of what to do, and more importantly what not to do (poke out our eyes with the guide canes) … “

She added “Working alongside our Valda colleagues and some very friendly people from Wales & West Utilities, we set to staking out the hedge row - digging, planting, stamping and repeating.”

“Before we knew it, we had laid a 300m long hedgerow of 12 different species of tree, all specially selected to boost biodiversity and attract a range of wildlife.” she said.

Mo recalled that over lunch, Dan gave a fascinating insight into the land, its old orchards and buildings, and the new techniques they’re adopting in their farming. She added that he is “a graduate of the Oxford Farming Conference: Inspire Programme, and runs a mixed beef, sheep, and arable farm in Monmouthshire, South Wales, strengthened by input from others and grounded in a regenerative approach.”

The day also created opportunities to connect with colleagues and volunteers from Wales and West Utilities, strengthening relationships while contributing to an important environmental initiative.

Reflecting on the overall experience, Mo said, “The team from Stump Up For Trees, Dan the farmer, all the people we met from WWU, and the chance to get to know my own colleagues a little better made this a hugely rewarding and satisfying day. There were many laughs, and knowing we were doing something so helpful and important only added to the positive experience.”

Rachel Embury, from Stump Up for Trees, comments:

“We are hugely grateful for the continued support of Valda Energy. Corporate volunteer days enable us to plant more trees and support landscape restoration on a wider scale — including 33 hectares of nature restoration and over 9 kilometres of new hedgerow and shelterbelt this season alone.

This year, the Valda team helped us plant 1,500 native broadleaved trees as part of a new hedgerow scheme on a regenerative farm in Monmouthshire. Species included hazel, hawthorn, crab apple, willow, field maple and small‑leaved lime. These will provide essential shade and shelter for livestock, help mitigate flooding, and increase biodiversity. The hedgerows will also allow the farmer to mob‑graze pasture, improving soil health, species diversity, and reducing the need for chemical fertilisers.

This season also brought particular cause for celebration, as Stump Up For Trees has now planted over 500,000 trees with farmers across South Wales, taking us more than halfway toward our Million Trees target in just five years. Our corporate partners are absolutely critical to helping us achieve this remarkable milestone.”

Our continued partnership with Stump Up For Trees reinforces Valda Energy’s commitment to supporting innovative, community‑driven environmental initiatives that create real, measurable impact. We remain dedicated to protecting and restoring natural landscapes, ensuring they can thrive for generations to come.