Thanks to Lara for news from Ryde’s part in the Big Tree Plant project. Ed
Staff and volunteers from Spectrum Medina, in association with Natural Enterprise, have built the Isle of Wight’s first community tree nursery as part of the Big Tree Plant project.
A former brownfield site at the back of Spectrum’s depot in Ryde has recently been transformed into a temporary home for more than 6,000 trees. The trees, which are all native varieties and include oak, elm, field maple, walnut and hazel, will gradually be planted throughout community spaces, streets and neighbourhoods across the Island over the next three years.
Trees going to designated planting schemes
Suzie Mundell, Active Communities Project Co-ordinator for Spectrum Medina, explains more: “We’re looking forward to starting work very soon planting trees in several of our neighbourhoods and have designated tree planting schemes for areas in Newport, Ryde and East Cowes already.”
Suzie adds: “Planting trees in residential areas not only makes a huge difference to the visual appeal of an area but also provides shelter and shade, improves air quality, diffuses noise pollution and helps to create important wildlife habitats.”
Green Army get the work done
Four volunteers from Natural Wight’s ‘Green Army’, all of whom are residents at Foyer for the Island (which provides accommodation and support for young people on the Isle of Wight), worked together to establish the new tree nursery.
Kiefer Drake, Emma Basill, Scott Reynolds and Lucy Rudge spent a day filling raised beds with tonnes of topsoil and planting out the young trees. Known initially as ‘whips’ at this early stage of growth, these trees will be housed at the nursery until they are given their new homes around the Island.
Resource for future planting
As well as providing a first home for trees, the nursery will also become a small but invaluable resource for future planting, by storing young native saplings rescued from verges or developments, as well as growing young fruit and nut trees for Incredible Edible and other Island projects.
Volunteer Kiefer Drake explained what the experience of creating the tree nursery was like: “It was pouring with rain when we set off so we were working up to our ankles in mud, but it’s been brilliant to be involved and to see the tree nursery start to take shape.”
The nursery’s first trees were planted out on site by the youngsters on Friday 1st February – two wild service trees.
Spectrum Medina and Natural Enterprise are keen to hear from Isle of Wight residents living near to a street or green space that would benefit from some of the nursery’s trees. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.
