Tree Harvest gathered in
What a great morning at Martin Moore Wood harvesting trees! Over 30 people turned up, young and old – some to literally get stuck in and dig up some young trees, others from local Litter Wombles groups filled bags with old plastic tree guards.
As well as the Wombles, and CA-WN of course, volunteers represented Wild about Wootton, Wootton Parish Council, Northampton Town Council, the Rotary Club and Brixworth Country Park Volunteers.
Species harvested included Oak, Hazel, Dogwood, Spindle, Hawthorn, Birch, Elder and Cherry, with specimens ranging from under a foot tall to above head height. All were otherwise doomed to be cut down to avoid power lines or footpaths, or to be slowly choked out by more mature trees.
We learned how to spot a good candidate for harvesting, and how to identify different tree species (not easy when there are no leaves). The ‘crop’ was bundled into sets of 5 or 10 of the same species for collection – Collection Day is next Saturday 3 February (please register here https://treeplanner.moretreesnow.eco/events/1985).
It was genuinely inspiring to see so many people giving their time and hard work for a community cause. Thank you to Debbie Samwell, West Northamptonshire Council Senior Ranger, for her support and expertise and well done to everyone, especially Mick Lorkins who had the idea for this event and put a lot of work into organising it. We hope this will provide a template for others to hold similar events in their own local woodland (with landowner permission of course).
****Update**** Tree Distribution Day on Saturday 3 February went very well, with and all of the 344 trees harvested collected. In all 7 different charity or community projects benefited, including:
- South Court Environmental
- Rotary Northampton West - Pocket Park
- Hanslope Community Orchard and Permaculture Garden
- Harborough Woodland Volunteers - Haygates Farm Veteran Project
- Outdoor Classroom Brampton Valley Way
- Whitehills Primary School
- East Hunsbury Parish Council
