Schools' Planting Weeks 2022

 

Come rain or shine, every weekday for the last three weeks over 1000 children from local schools have planted nearly 1500 trees. Supported by volunteers from local businesses and our own amazing team of volunteers, children and staff from schools across Andover and the surrounding villages have participated in our 11th year of school tree planting - which for the first time has not taken place at Harmony Woods.

In partnership with Test Valley Borough Council, this year we were planting at the new Bury Hill Nature Reserve just outside Upper Clatford, creating a buffer belt of shrubby trees (hazel, blackthorn, hawthorn, dog rose, guelder rose, field maple, and spindle) interspersed with oaks. Trees were supplied by the Woodland Trust, TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) ‘I Dig Trees’, and Carbon Footprint Ltd.

The participating schools were:

  • Icknield School

  • Endeavour Primary King Campus

  • Balksbury Juniors

  • Roman Way Primary

  • Endeavour Primary Kirk Campus

  • Portway Juniors

  • Clatford CofE Primary

  • Anton Juniors

  • Harrow Way Community School

  • Smannell & Enham CofE Primary

  • Balksbury Infants

  • Abbots Ann CofE Primary

  • Appleshaw St Peter’s CofE Primary

  • Vernham Dean Gillum’s CofE Primary

  • Andover CofE Primary

  • Hurtbourne Tarrant CofE Primary

  • St John the Baptist Catholic Primary

  • Norman Gate

  • Kimpton, Thruxton & Fyfield CofE Primary

  • Knights Enham Juniors

  • Wherwell Primary

Wolverdene and Knights Enham Infants sadly had to postpone their planting due to staff illness, but we will arrange a date in the new year for them to come and plant a hedgerow in Harmony Woods.

Students from Harrow Way and John Hanson also came along to help out, plus the Mayor and two local councillors. Local businesses and organisations that kindly sent groups of volunteers to support were:

  • Stannah

  • Finkley Down Farm

  • Be Wiser Insurance

  • Ordnance Survey

  • Able & Cole

  • Test Valley Borough Council

We also had a lovely session on Saturday 26th November with residents of the villages at the foot of Bury Hill - the Clatfords and Abbotts Ann - who added 150 trees to the site.

We also extend our thanks to Pikes Coaches and Unity which provided coaches and minibuses for the children to get to and from the site. Also to our refreshments team, who kept us warm with hot drinks, biscuits, and homemade cakes. And to any other individual volunteers! Your help was invaluable, and we hope you enjoyed it.

If you would like to plant a tree, come along to our Community Planting Day on Saturday 10th December at Harmony Woods. Details here.

 
Laura Morrell