Trees planted in Cumbria as a flood 'defence'
Thousands of trees are to be planted on land hit by the 2009 Cumbria floods, the Woodland Trust has announced.
About 2,000 locally sourced native species will be planted to protect vulnerable land around the Derwent and Greta rivers.
It is hoped the trees will help to restore the Lake District area where trees were ripped up and carried away by flood water last November.
Tree canopies help delay rain water hitting the ground, the trust said.
Peter Leeson, of the Woodland Trust, said: "We will be planting several thousands of trees in nine different schemes from Keswick to Workington over the winter.
"They will have long-term benefits for water quality and wildlife."
The trust has teamed up with the Environment Agency and Bassenthwaite Lake Restoration Programme to carry out the project.
Mike Farrell, of the Environment Agency, said willows and hedges would also be planted to create barriers to hold back "eroded banks".
Unprecedented rainfall caused rivers to burst their banks, flooding towns and villages in November 2009, causing £276m worth of damage.