Planting Fortnight & National Tree Week

Our annual tree planting fortnight began on Saturday 16th November with a community planting day. The early winter sun was shining on Harmony Woods as we were joined by residents from Andover and surrounding villages for a morning and afternoon session of planting. Once the whips were in the ground many people stayed on to help beat-up the unsuccessful trees from the last season of planting.

From then until Friday 29th November, just under 1000 children from 22 local schools added their own trees to the wood, some arriving with trees that they have been nurturing in their school gardens over the past year.

Now planted, these trees extend the woodland by a further 500. With 200 more to be planted by schools after Christmas, 100 more at our Plant-for-the-Planet Academy in March 2020, and another 200 for hedge planting and beating up - to be done during community and workdays January to March 2020 - this will take the total number of trees added to the wood during this season to 1000!

Another 500 trees will be distributed to our partner schools to be looked after until next year’s tree planting fortnight.

Despite a few soggy days, the fortnight ended the same way it had begun: filled with sunshine, excitement and enthusiasm - a great success!

Alex Walker from Portway Junior School, thanked our team for a brilliant morning saying that the children were positively “buzzing” after their morning in the woods. Very well done to all the pupils from our participating schools (list below) for their astounding contribution to the woodland, whatever the weather. And a big thank you to all the organisations and volunteers who gave their time to support them. Your efforts are enormously appreciated.

*Doreen and Stephen brave the early frosty morning to set up the days planting*

We had a fantastic team of regular volunteers who worked from the daily set up at 8am each day, through till the last tools had been put away 7 hours later! In total, 60 different people gave their time in the wood over the course of the fortnight to help the sessions run smoothly and to support the children to plant their trees. This 60 includes returning volunteers and new recruits, employees from Abel and Cole, the British Army, the Coop Depot, college students and secondary school students from Harrow Way and Winton who came to plant their own trees as well as support the younger primary school children. Invited guests and VIPs included the Mayor of Test Valley Cllr Martin Hatley, Cllr Phil North, Director of Woodland Creation for the Woodland Trust John Tucker and Lorna Cumming-Bruce from Semble.

Cllr Phil North, leader of Test Valley Borough Council said "It was great to join pupils from local schools to help plant the next section of woodland between Augusta Park and Enham Alamein. Planting trees doesn't just create fantastic landscapes which is important for biodiversity, it is absolutely vital in tackling climate change. My thanks go to Wendy Davis and all at Andover Trees United for all they do in planting and maintaining this amazing woodland."

Gemma Regniez from The British Army Communications Team added ”Our team had a fantastic morning helping out; it’s a great opportunity to use our volunteering days. We’re encouraging more of our colleagues to take part!”

*Pupils plant their tree in Harmony Woods, the final step is to add the mulch!*

As well as being mid way through Planting Fortnight, the 23rd of November was also the start of National Tree Week, where organisations across the whole of the UK plant trees to enhance the British landscape, help protect biodiversity and combat climate change. Thanks to a grant from The Tree Council, we were able to acquire 25 Dutch-elm-disease resistant Elm trees, one for each of our partner schools. Meaning that the local children are not only creating a community woodland, but they are reintroducing a much-loved tree back into the landscape.

*Pupils from Vernham Dean School plant their Elm tree in Harmony Woods*

schools that took part in Tree Planting Fortnight include:

Portway Junior School
Balksbury Junior School
Balksbury Infant School
Anton Junior School
Vigo Primary
Rookwood
Endeavour School
Roman Way Primary School
Andover C of E Primary School
Normangate School
Wolverdene
The Mark Way School
Harrow Way Community School
John Hanson Community School
Winton Community School
Andover College
Abbotts Ann C of E Primary School
Smannell & Enham C of E Primary
Appleshaw St Peters
Vernham Dean
Wherwell
Hatherden

Thank you!

Finally, we would like to give special thanks to our regular volunteers for their invaluable support. Without their tireless work throughout the year, planting fortnight and the ongoing maintenance of the woodland would not be possible. We salute you!

If you are reading this and fancy getting involved in any of the work that we do, please get in touch: volunteers@andovertrees.org.uk .