There is a proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”.
Trees can take decades to reach maturity and provide their greatest benefits, visually and ecologically. They are a gift to future generations and we know that future generations are going to need trees more than ever. Tree planting has mind-blowing potential to tackle the climate crisis. Trees remove carbon from the atmosphere where it is causing the problem and lock it safely away.
Our members have been working to identify public sites around the town suitable for planting. This Winter the Town Council is planting ten decent sized trees in our public spaces as well as around 100 metres of hedging, and we hope that next Winter we will be able to plant many more.
The window for grant applications is open in the Spring and we hope to undertake fundraising during the year. We will be asking for the support of the community to help water the new trees until they are mature enough to survive.
This is only a fraction of the land available across the town so if you have space in your garden and would like to plant trees of your own, we have put together a guide, assisted by a local tree expert, on the best trees for our area and advice on where, when and how to plant and care for your tree.
While the best time to plant is November, it is not too late to plant this Winter – especially as the weather has been unseasonably mild and therefore the ground isn’t too hard to dig!