1,200 trees have been planted at Sadler’s Wood Pocket Park in North Walsham as part of North Norfolk District Council’s (NNDC) ambition to plant 110,000 trees – one for every person in North Norfolk – over the next four years.
The Felbeck Trust, a charity which helps to restore and improve the Norfolk countryside for the benefit of wildlife, local communities and visitors, organised the volunteering event in response to NNDC’s appeal to get members of the public and community groups involved with the four-year environmental campaign.
Working under the direction of NNDC’s countryside rangers team, over 30 volunteers from the Trust, the local community and Easton & Otley College took to their spades to plant a mix of locally sourced and grown deciduous species including hazel, beech and oak. These new species of tree will help to improve biodiversity and be better for the local wildlife, replacing the majority of conifers planted there 70-100 years ago.
This is one of the first large scale planting exercises to be completed since the Council launched its 110,000 trees goal at its Green Build event in September. NNDC is continuing to ask people to follow in the footsteps of Felbeck Trust and to come forward with more ideas and suggestions to help achieve the 110,000 trees planted ambition.
Councillor Nigel Lloyd, environment portfolio holder at NNDC, said: “We were delighted with the response to our first large scale planting activity since launching the campaign. Twelve hundred trees in one event is a huge milestone to achieve within this year’s tree planting season. These are in addition to a further 10,000 trees being planted this planting season at our country parks.
“A huge thank you to the Felbeck Trust and everyone who contributed towards making the event at Sadler’s Wood such a great success. We are looking forward to working with other local community groups, schools, businesses and individuals to run more events across North Norfolk in the coming months. Whether it is one tree planted, or another twelve hundred, each one counts towards our ambitious goal and we welcome all support and ideas.”
The Felbeck Trust’s commitment to improving the environment and habitats for all living organisms across the district includes a wider collaboration project with NNDC to maintain Sadler’s Wood as a Pocket Park for both wildlife and the local community. The Trust’s ongoing work to restore sites across North Norfolk in order to preserve and conserve natural habitats for wildlife was also recognised and celebrated with the North Norfolk District Council Environment Award. This award is presented annually to local projects and activities which demonstrate environmental sustainability.
To support its four-year tree planting ambition, NNDC is partnering with the Woodland Trust as its main supplier of trees. It is encouraging individuals, as well as local schools, groups and businesses, to get involved with the campaign which is part of its journey to becoming a carbon neutral council by 2030. For more information and details of how to get involved, visit: https://www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/trees