A Beautiful, Natural Space at the Heart of the Community
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Tree Planting
Trees are essential for people, wildlife and the environment. Thousands of species depend on trees for shelter and food. Planting native trees is one of the best ways to tackle the climate crisis - If the UK is to reach its carbon neutral target by 2050, the Committee on Climate Change has recommended an increase in woodland cover from 13% to 19%. So we started by planting 500 of them!
What We Did
They say that the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.
The next best time is NOW.
So we set to work coming up with a plan for planting trees into the hedge line. Not only would these trees grow and provide shelter and food for the wildlife, but they would help to form a natural fence to protect the meadow (and help stop children running into the road too!).
How We Achieved It
We applied to the Woodland Trust who have a scheme where community groups, schools and other organisations can get free tree saplings to plant. We ensured that the trees chosen would be native to the area and enhance the space, whilst also being mindful that they wouldn't encroach on people's views. We opted for a mix of hazel, hawthorn, elder, crab apple, rowan and blackthorn which are good for making hedgerows as they happily produce multiple stems and make good, thick hedges. Perfect for wildlife too!
Dec. 2018 -The Result
We held our first community tree planting day which was extremely well-attended by the village! There were about 50 families who turned out with spades and gloves ready to get stuck in and help us plant the first 500 trees. We carefully planned where each tree was to be planted, and in the days leading up to the event we meticulously colour-coded and evenly spaced each cane to show planters where we wanted each species of sapling to go. We made sure that the cherry trees (which would grow taller and quicker than the rest) were placed opposite the spaces between houses so as not to encroach on people's views when they reached maturity in 20+ years time. We supported the tiny saplings with cuffs and put bark on their roots to keep them warm whilst nature worked her magic. It was an amazing day and we were so excited to see how the community was so keen to get involved and join in.
Next...
Since that first planting day we have planted a hazel coppice, a tree belt and two orchards. We are lucky to have a local arborist (Craig Ashley) who supports us and guides us as we plant more trees, he is invaluable to our work and gives us so much knowledge. The first orchard was sponsored by local company Solve and consisted of native apple, pear and plum trees. The second orchard was planted by the 1st St Eval Cub and Beaver groups and they had a sign made to proudly display what they'd done. It is this kind of community collaboration which is what makes the St Eval Community Land Project so wonderful. It was a delight to see the children planting and naming their own fruit trees. In a year or two they'll visit the meadow and be able to pick and eat the fruits of their labour!