Prince William advocates tree planting and farming for Welsh
The Prince of Wales visited flood-hit communities in Monmouthshire, where he heard how extreme flooding is now an annual event.
Prince William has highlighted the increasing frequency of severe flooding in Wales and advocated for tree planting and regenerative farming as solutions. The Prince of Wales visited the village of Skenfrith in Monmouthshire on Thursday, where residents have endured four major floods in the past six years.
Residents Rod and Helen Wyatt, who have lived in their home for a decade, spoke to the Prince at their garden gate about the impacts. An extreme flood last winter devastated the village when the River Monnow burst its banks after Storm Claudia brought a month's rain in 24 hours. Rod Wyatt described one flooding event, saying, "we had to give up really, we got two bottles of Prosecco and went to watch Strictly upstairs." Prince William replied, "It must be so demoralising for you now, the worry each year you've got to go through that again, potentially, is becoming more frequent."
The Prince questioned the outdated terminology used for such events. They keep talking about a one in 50-year event, it doesn't make sense anymore, he said. It might be in the researching and scientific point of view - it's happening every year now, it's mad. In 2019, about 25 homes in Skenfrith were evacuated following flooding and a power cut. The Wyatts have since tiled their ground floor due to the persistent threat.
Royal visit to Stump Up for Trees
Prince William joined volunteers harvesting seeds and planting a sessile oak, supporting the charity’s goal of planting one million native trees. He met representatives from the environmental charity Stump Up for Trees at Great Tre-Rhew Farm in Monmouthshire. The charity was founded in 2020 and aims to plant one million native trees across south Wales and Bannau Brycheiniog.
To access the trees, the Prince climbed over a barbed wire fence using a small step, joking he did not want to rip his trousers. As he harvested seeds from a field maple, he noted his height advantage, saying, I'm going to reach up here and get these higher ones. He spoke to farm owners Kate and Jim Beavan and Jenny Knight, director of Stump Up for Trees. Representatives from the Duchy of Cornwall joined to share learning on nature recovery and climate-resilient forestry, starting a long-term partnership.
Jenny Knight said knowledge exchange is valuable and working together across areas would have greater impact. After the visit, she paid tribute to Prince William for looking at not just the problems but the solutions as well. At the end of a conversation about farm-produced cider, Knight said the Prince remarked, one pint a day keeps the doctor away. Stump Up for Trees collected 35,000 seeds last year to grow new trees and hopes to increase that to 60,000 this year.
Regenerative farming in Herefordshire
Prince William met a young farmer leading a Duchy of Cornwall project focused on soil health and water retention to combat flooding and drought. He visited Monkhall Farm in Herefordshire to meet Harry Davies, a 25-year-old set to lead the Duchy's first regenerative farming project on a 25-year lease at a 900-acre farm. The project aims to improve soil health and make land more resilient to both flooding and drought.
Harry Davies explained the logic behind the approach. By us being able to hold that water in that soil profile so it doesn't go into our rivers and streams quite so quickly, we should be able to hold the water on our land, he said. Which in the long term will then benefit us when it's hot and dry. He also emphasized intergenerational cooperation, noting, There seems to be an opportunity to draw on experience from my Grandad's generation, but also a bit of youth and enthusiasm is also needed. I think it's about generations working together, that's just farming. Prince William drove a tractor sowing winter wheat with satellite navigation and told Davies, We can help other farmers understand this is totally doable.
Throughout the visits, the Prince advocated for a holistic approach to flooding, including slowing water down through farming landscaping, tree planting, and better monitoring. Stump Up for Trees hopes to increase its seed collection from 35,000 to 60,000 this year to support its one million tree goal.
