Society’s trees now total 42,800
Ian Rands, John Brunsdon and Stuart Marsh at work on a new hedge at Butleigh Wootton.
The winter tree-planting season has just ended, and the Conservation Society has now planted a grand total of 42,800 tree and hedge plants since it was founded in 1971.
Volunteers started the winter at the Wells Road cemetery, generally cleaning up an area over two weeks, in preparation for planting a holly hedge.
Two Saturdays were spent at Bushy Coombe, constructing and erecting tree cages (designed by Adrian Pearse), to protect previously planted trees from damage by cows.
We then moved to Wootton Hill Farm, Butleigh Wootton, to plant a roadside hedge of 660 plants for Mary Acland-Hood. In the final weeks we worked at Draycott on land behind the Strawberry Fields farm shop. In March we completed hedges in two fields, consisting of 3,215 plants. The owner, Mike Pearce, has asked us to plant an orchard of 32 trees at the same site.
Future work includes an orchard of 75 trees at Butleigh for Roland and Marilyn Backhurst at (the curiously named) St James Square in the village. A third were planted at the end of this season and the job will finish at the start of next season.
Tor Leisure Centre has requested our help with planting hedges and trees, and an enquiry has been made as to whether we would erect tree cages at St Bride’s mound, Beckery.