By Wendy Davis | Trustee & Project Leader
NEW STAFF!
The key events of the new year were the appointments of our second Nature and Community Officer and our 2023 Ecology Intern, thus completing our team of support officers. They introduce themselves in a news article that you can read via the links below. In large part funded by The National Lottery, it is also your generous contributions that have made their appointments possible.
TREES!
Although the heart of our work is the annual involvement of 1000+ local children in tree planting for their community and all children’s green futures, we continue tree planting across the winter. This might be at our weekly weekday or monthly weekend session, or it might be a special event for local businesses, community organisations and families. This year, since January, we are delighted to have provided many such opportunities.
In early January, we welcomed a group of children who had recently moved to the area to connect to their new home by planting their own section of hedgerow. In February in addition to the contributions of local volunteers, the hedgerow was further extended by Sparsholt College students in celebration of Apprenticeship week (see link below) and by 1st Andover Scouts who showed their love for the wood on Valentine’s Day <3
In February and March, four commemorative trees were planted to celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. These special plantings included a magnificent Poplar, donated from one of the show gardens at Chelsea Flower Show 2022, which was dedicated to former Trustee Barbara Long and a fruit tree which had belonged to the late Paul Sartin, the musician who had led our 2022 summer choral workshops and celebrations. Family, friends and singers came together in early March to plant Paul’s tree close to where he had led us in sog last year.
We often receive requests from local residents to plant trees that they have raised from seed and which need a larger home than ‘the back garden’. One such tree, a magnificent Oak, was kindly donated and planted in the wood in recent weeks.
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT!
In addition to the youth team who meet monthly and who offer their time to volunteer for the charity, we are pleased to be able to support a number of other young people. Supported work experience days recently saw a local College student offer his time to remove willows from the wildlife pond and Duke of Edinburgh (D of E) scheme participant is volunteering time for hedgerow planting and general conservation tasks.
The youth team members who participate in our Nature in Harmony Exchange Project (NIHEP) have, as ever, been busy in the wood. They too have been part of the winter hedgerow-planting project; they have planted two more Scots Pines, have undertaken winter tree ID activities and are planning their own youth-friendly tree ID guide for the wood.
Last weekend, despite blustery and at times wet weather, the NIHEP team spent two days including an overnight campout in Harmony Woods with outdoor learning practitioner Chris Holland as part of their leadership training. They will use their experiences and newly-gained skills to help lead the family nature activities that are being planned for the spring and summer. You can find out a bit more about this via the Facebook link below.
FENCE BUILDING!
The copse at the entrance to the wood that was planted with Princess Anne in 2012 at the start of our woodland journey has suffered from ‘unofficial’ walkways that have impacted the ground and broken branches. As the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Queen’s Green Canopy programme come to an end, we realised that we should draw attention to the importance of this group of trees. The regular work team have used surplus timber from the Cabin build to erect a fence around the small copse of 20 trees, to which has been added a gallery of photo-boards that chart the history of the wood from 2012-2022. We can now begin to return the hardened ground to a green and growing space once more.
LOOKING FORWARDS!
Tree planting, fence building and replenishing the nursery bed are our core winter tasks but the early new year months are also a time for looking forwards - planning and preparing for the arrival of spring and the new growing season. Wild daffodils are in bloom, wildflower seeds have been ordered, projects designed to bring young people to their wood are in the pipeline and, thanks to your support, we look forward to warmer days, trees in leaf and an increasing number of people who understand the importance of the natural world.
Links:
By Wendy Davis | Trustee & Project Leader
By Wendy Davis | Trustee & Project Leader
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