A YORK woman has planted the last of 150,000 trees that have been dug in by a construction company this year.

Caroline Pears, 36 from Osbaldwick, York, helped BAM, the national construction firm, plant the 150,000th tree this year to mark the company’s 150 years of operation - having been founded in 1869.

The company has been working with City of Trees, a movement that seeks to help reinvigorate North Yorkshire’s landscape, and other areas across Britain.

Caroline went to Archbishop’s CE School in Badger Hill in York, and works as an IT Project Leader for BAM Construction’s North East team.

She said: “Planting so many trees is a far better gift to society than us having a big party and will last for many generations to come.

“It is important that we understand climate issues and help contribute to the solutions.”

BAM is known for creating Terry’s factory in York in Bishopthorpe Road, in 1928, that is now the Terry’s Chocolate Works.

The factory developed the famous Terry’s Chocolate Orange and Terry’s All Gold.

The company also help build the Melrose Stand at York Racecourse, and buildings for the University of York, as well as Hiscox Insurance’s new building in Peasholme Green and the Network Rail’s training centre’s Engineer’s Triangle.

BAM is known for its ultra-modern digital construction techniques and its highly collaborative approach to construction.

James Wimpenny, CEO of BAM Construct UK, said: “Our Group company, one of Europe’s largest construction groups, teamed up in its worldwide tree planting initiative with Trees for All to plant 150,000 new trees in 2019.

“Everyone, including BAM, has a responsibility to take sustainability very seriously.

“We all know these trees won’t solve the need to reforest our world. But it shows how private companies working with the charitable sector can make a genuine difference and give something back that is well worth doing.

“100,000 of the trees were planted in areas with a critical need of re-forestation – Uganda and Bolivia.

The other 50,000 have come to BAM’s European territories to locations carefully selected by our expert partners.

We’ve worked with their guidance to contribute to planting schemes that have proper management and will help towards the gradual reforestation of our country.

“BAM will not be stopping here.

“ We intend to find a way to do more of this, not least because our people see the value in it and are motivated by giving something back in this way.”