Despite the heavy rain and biting cold wind, it was muddy boots, wet weather gear and big smiles all the way at the Alscot Biodiversity Project Tree Planting Workshop on Sunday 13th February.
The Croft Preparatory School have embraced the collaboration with Alscot and Mr Tom Genders, Head of The Croft Eco Club, keen gardener, and environmentalist, held a voluntary Tree Planting Workshop for local primary school children.
The Estate’s project, now in its third year, allows children to hone and benefit their environmental practices, studies, and interests by joining in practical activities. Tree planting is a superb way for youngsters to connect with nature while helping the planet and at the same time, it links to many areas of the curriculum as well as being fun and hands-on. The Tree Planting Workshop follows on from the Alscot Biodiversity Project Art Competition, whereby children were tasked to draw a logo that represented nature in Warwickshire. Six local primary schools took-part and a new logo was created from the winning designs to represent the collaboration between Alscot and environmental education.
The invitation to take part in the Tree Planting Workshop was extended to other local primary schools and children from four local primary schools; Alveston, Quinton, Bridgetown, and The Croft, joined together at Alscot, to create what will become a small but bountiful orchard for future generations to enjoy. The children, along with their parents, planted 5 native fruit trees: Apple 'Cox' and 'Red Windsor', Cherry 'Kordia', Plum 'Guinevere' and Plum 'Victoria' plus 40 hedging plants. The Estate follows Natural England’s recommendations for hedging, that encourages biodiversity, and the species include, hawthorn, field maple, dog wood, hazel, blackthorn and purging buckthorn. Natural England is the government’s adviser, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, for the natural environment in England.
Estate Owner, Emma Holman-West commented “We are very lucky to have enthusiastic schools and teachers that are happy to collaborate with us. Not only do the children learn and develop new skills, such as planting, but it makes a difference to the wider Alscot community too. As part of Alscot’s initiative and aim to become carbon neutral, the Estate launched an incentive last year whereby we plant a new tree for every new residential or commercial tenant that joins us. This particular site that we have chosen is close to a public footpath and highway and is therefore accessible to local people. Not only is it proven that green spaces improve physical and mental health, but trees and hedges provide homes and food for wildlife, trees clean the air we breathe and absorb CO2 – one of the main causes of climate change and those trees will one day become a legacy that our future generations will enjoy. The weather on the day was far from ideal but the attendance was testament to just how much the children understand the importance of planting trees.”
The trees are being planted on the site of a former mill known as Cutlin Mill. Sadly, the derelict mill was the victim of an arson attack in 2011 and the remaining building was completely destroyed. This project injects significant new life into a historic piece of land. Each of the fruit trees is dedicated to the schools that took part, along with the one planted by Tom himself.
Tom Genders commented “I was particularly pleased when Alscot offered this planting site as the hedge around it, the very old fruit tree in one corner and the newly planted walnut added by the Estate recently, all gave me the feeling that it is just waiting to be turned into a beautiful little orchard, it feels like somewhere these children might return to for years to come, and say "I planted that" and maybe pick the fruits of their labour too.”
The environment is high on the agenda in most schools today with many offering an Eco Club or Forest School. The notion of everybody playing a part in looking after our planet and making changes before it's too late, is becoming more and more important and aligns with Alscot’s environmental ethos. Recent documentaries such as the BBC's 'Drowning in Plastic' and David Attenborough's 'Planet Earth' have had an impact on public consciousness and shown how vital it is to educate everyone, and especially the next generation, about how we can help. Schools are eager to play their part and Eco Clubs and Forest Schools are one way to encourage interest and involvement and can be very rewarding, especially when children are given responsibility to make their own decisions about the changes they want to see and the opportunity to improve their own environment.
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