Volunteers ‘leaf’ legacy by planting 350 trees in Portchester
ABOUT 30 local volunteers have planted 350 trees to boost wildlife and biodiversity at Castle Shore Park in Portchester.
The green-fingered team planted a mixture of species including alders and mirabelle plum fruit trees which has created a new woodland next to Portchester Castle. The project was made possible by Hampshire County Council’s Hampshire Forest Partnership initiative, The Tree Council, Fareham Borough Council and local volunteering group The Litter Ladies.
Councillor Russell Oppenheimer, the county council’s Executive Member for Countryside and Regulatory Services said: “I want to thank all the volunteers including families and children, who gave up their time to plant hundreds of trees at Portchester’s Castle Shore Park which has created a wonderful new green space for people to enjoy now and for many years to come. The mini woodland is designed to provide habitats for wildlife and will create space for wildflowers to flourish. This is a great example of the County Council’s Forest Partnership which aims to bring people and organisations together to plant, care for and protect trees for the benefit of our communities and the environment.”
The planting day on Thursday, February 16, was funded through a grant from the Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund, demonstrating Network Rail’s commitment to supporting communities to plant more trees across the UK.
Initiative
Sara Lom, Chief Executive at The Tree Council, said: “The Tree Council is thrilled to have been able to support new tree planting, funded by the Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund. This has created new copse and scrub area to increase the habitat for local wildlife at Portchester’s Castle Shore Park. Trees and hedgerows help tackle climate change, provide homes for wildlife, improve our health and wellbeing and so much more. We were delighted to work alongside so many enthusiastic local volunteers to do something truly wonderful for nature, helping to grow a greener, tree-filled future for all of us.”
And Councillor Simon Martin, Executive Member for Planning and Development at Fareham Borough Council, said: “This tree planting initiative is the result of a great deal of planning and teamwork, and I am very proud to see it come to fruition. This project will not only improve the quality of the open space for Portchester residents and visitors but benefit the local biodiversity and ecology. I would also like to extend my special thanks to all the community volunteers who have worked so hard to make this happen.”
The Litter Ladies is a local Portchester group whose members work to improve their environment.
PICTURED: Young volunteers taking part in the Hampshire Forest Partnership tree planting day
