Gosport and Fareham Friends plant more than 1,200 trees

By Chief Correspondent Rob Thomas

GOSPORT & FAREHAM Friends of the Earth – with some helpers – took just three days to plant more than 1,000 trees in the two boroughs during National Tree Week.

And for good measure another 260 were added a day later.

During National Tree Week, the Friends first planted 800 trees at Bay House School with pupils from the school and from Brune Park School together with members of the Green Party providing valuable helping hands.

Next up, it was the recently opened Abbey Meadows in Titchfield. Here, 60 oak saplings from the ‘Save the Oaks’ campaign were dug in having initially been looked after by Fareham Borough Council’s Countryside Officer Mark Trigwell.

The third location was back in Gosport at the King’s Road play area, near Newtown School – this time 160 trees went into the ground to screen a concrete boundary and provide a haven for wildlife and biodiversity as well as enhancing the area.

Rob Johnston of GFFOE Trees and Bees group said, “It is amazing how quickly and efficiently a group of people can plant over 1,000 trees in three days.”

But the end of National Tree Week was not the end of the ‘Friends’ labours – the following week, 160 trees were planted at Leesland School in Gosport and seven schools in the area received fruit trees – donated by members of the Trees and Bees group – to enable them to create mini-orchards.

Most of the trees were donated by the Woodland Trust and The Conservation Volunteers, and were sourced by Emma Bartlett-Kelly who worked with schools and Gosport Borough Council – and helped with the digging.

 

Plenty of enthusiasm to plant more trees

Trees and Bees Coordinator Rosey Coddington told The Globe: “if anyone owned land that was accessible to the public or in public view, we would be pleased to hear from them. Also, if anyone knows of any areas of council land, they think might benefit from trees please let us know or any schools that would be interested.”

Gosport & Fareham Friends of the Earth can be contacted via its website or by email: gosportfarehamfoe@gmail.com

There is similar enthusiasm at Gosport Borough Council – Cemetery and Arboricultural Officer Dave Stubington said: “It was great to be involved in National Tree Week and help with the planting of more trees in the borough.

“If you are interested in sponsoring a tree or planting on public land, please contact the council’s Streetscene team on 08000 198598 or streetscene@gosport.gov.uk”

And Council Leader Councillor Graham Burgess added: “I’m delighted that so many trees have been planted around the borough.

“We’ll continue to plant as many as we can and we welcome sponsorship from local people.”

That will be in addition to more than 30,000 trees already in place in the council’s parks, open spaces, recreation grounds, allotment sites, cemeteries, car parks and housing areas.

It is understood that in Fareham the borough council is currently considering a site to enable tree planting to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year.

Photograph (top): Trev Kelly, Rachel McCormick and Anne Stephenson getting the trees into the ground at Abbey Meadows, Titchfield. Gosport & Fareham Friends of the Earth, reproduced with permission