Pupils help with North Hykeham tree planting
Over 75 volunteers gave up their time and dug deep to help with a tree planting project in North Hykeham.
Local residents, pupils from Manor Leas Junior Academy, local Scouts, volunteer Council staff and volunteers engaged in nature conservation groups, all participated in the planting on Belton Park Drive.
The land is owned by North Kesteven District Council, which secured grant support from the Tree Council’s and DEFRA’s Trees Outside Woodland (TOW) Fund.
Site preparation, fencing and oversight of the planting were all undertaken by experts from Hill Holt Wood, the Council’s contract partners for the CountrysideNK service. They will continue to care for the trees as they get established.
The planting site is approximately 20% of a 5,300m2 area of grassland bordered by residential properties and farmland, where existing footpaths have been protected to ensure continued public access and enjoyment of the space.
Around 4,500 trees have been planted - all native species including hazel, holly, wayfaring tree, dogwood, beech, oak, and elderberry.
The trees have been planted using the Miyawaki planting method which involves densely planting a large variety of native trees in layers – from ground cover to canopy – to mimic natural forest ecosystems. The grant received is to trial this method due to its numerous benefits, including high biodiversity and lower maintenance, and therefore hopefully reducing long-term upkeep costs.
Councillor Richard Wright, council leader, said: “This planting is an ideal scheme to bring nature right up to an urban area, in a space that has limited use. It's a great place to grow these trees, where they can be seen and enjoyed by residents, as well as the wildlife they’ll attract.
“It’s part of our Council strategy to plant as many trees as we can – our target originally was 5,000 trees, which we’ve now surpassed. Trees have a positive impact on the environment, that multiplies as they grow to maturity, adding to biodiversity and helping sequester carbon.
“These trees were funded by a national scheme from the Tree Council and DEFRA, and hopefully what we'll see in a few years’ time is a mature woodland for people to enjoy.”
Gavin Warhurst, Head of External Contracts at Hill Holt Wood, said: “By adopting the Miyawaki process for the first time in North Kesteven, we’ve planted these trees closer together than we would normally, and that is to encourage them to root quickly and compete for light, springing upwards towards the light. And we anticipate a significantly higher survival rate than through a more traditional system.
“4,500 trees in such a small area is quite unusual, but the method is growing in popularity. One of the advantages of planting like this, with a simple fence around the outside, is that we can keep predators away so that the trees won't be damaged. It all helps the trees to establish faster and accelerate them towards becoming more like a natural woodland.”
Hannah McFaul, Sustainability Lead and outdoor learning teacher at Manor Leas Junior Academy, said: “We’re really pleased to have been able to support NKDC with the tree planting project.
“We take climate action really seriously at Manor Leas and it’s really great to contribute to this initiative, making a difference for the community’s future climate resilience.”