Dear Tree Wardens and Friends,
What have Kneele Gardens, Longfield Place, Pemros Road, St Paul’s School, Austin Farm School, Victoria Road School, Mill Ford School, Bickleigh Down School, St Peter’s School, High Street School, Drake Circus, Devonport Park, Moor View Park and Neswick Playground got in common?
They are all places where local initiative led to new standard-sized trees being planted in 2011 – 100 trees in total – and where there is a volunteer commitment to looking after the trees until they are established. It is a wonderful achievement.
There are more challenging projects in the pipeline for 2012 and the partnership approach of pooling talents and resources between groups and working with Plymouth City Council Parks Services will be essential. Your support is improving parks, streets and places across the city.
Partnership meetings
Learning about trees, their requirements to grow well and contribute positively to landscapes and ecosystems is both fascinating and enjoyable. We are extremely fortunate to have so many subject experts in the programme so do come and hear what they have to tell us. University students and guests of partnership members are welcome too.
We have a new venue for our meetings!
They now take place in Room 416 of the Babbage Centre in James Street by kind permission of the University of Plymouth. Take the lift to the 4th floor, turn right and Room 416 is straight ahead. A free car park next to the Babbage Centre gives disabled access to the building.
Meetings start promptly at 7.00 pm with the main talk, followed by questions and answers. After a short break, there is a brief review of current issues and plans and we finish by 9.00 pm.
Wednesday 18th January – Trees & Ecology
This is a very relevant topic with climate change taking place. Samantha Leathers uses her knowledge of ecology in her professional work as a Senior Landscape Architect and we are delighted that she has agreed to share it with us and to highlight the main considerations.
Wednesday 15th February – Growing a Community Orchard
URS’s Chief Landscape Architect and South Hams Tree Warden, Adam King, has kindly agreed to tell us about his experiences setting up the Wembury community orchard. With much interest in orchards currently this will be a good opportunity to see how ideas can be turned into reality.
Wednesday 21st March – Making a Herbariu
Dave Wilson, Parks Services’ Tree Officer, will demonstrate a fascinating and hands-on way to learn how plants function and grow. Herbaria are essential for the study of plant physiology and it is something that anyone can do at home.
There will be no meeting in April but please make a note of the following events in dairies:
Wednesday 16th May – Guided walk along the proposed city centre Tree Trail
Dr Tean Mitchell is helping stakeholders develop proposals for a city centre tree trail and is offering this opportunity to walk the route with her. Meet at North Cross Roundabout at 7.00 pm.
Wednesday 27th June – AGM and walk around University Campus trees
Details will be included in the next newsletter.
Other events
Saturday 11th February – Parks Forum
This is being held in the Radford Hide Education Centre and will start at 10.30 am with refreshments provided. If you have an interest in a particular park or green space and would like to attend, please contact gareth.harrison-poole@plymouth.gov.uk for details.
Friday 30th March – Fortescue Garden House Lecture 2012
This event is being organised by The Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, and will be held in the Plymouth Postgraduate Medical Centre, Derriford. Titled ‘Inspirational Trees & Tree People’, it will be an illustrated talk by Tony Kirkham, Head of the Arboretum at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who is particularly well-known for his appearances in the BBC series ‘A Year at Kew’ and ‘The Trees That Made Britain’. The ticket price, which includes a celebratory glass of wine, is £14. Book by email office@thegardenhouse.org.uk or telephone 01822 854769.
Tuesday 15th May – Annual walk in Radford Park Arboretum
Details will be included in the next newsletter.
Community Tree Projects
It is always great when tree projects are ready for planting and the places below have reached that point. Led by a local group in every case, our role as Tree Wardens or Tree Friends is to encourage and support so please visit as many as you can, even for a short time. Funding for these projects comes from the Big Tree Plant and Greenspace Challenge programmes.
Tuesday 10th January, Wednesday 11th January & Thursday 12th January
10.00 am – 4.00 pm Efford Valley Park (below Severn Place) – 75 trees for new community orchard
Saturday 11th February
9.00 am – 4.00 pm Patna Place (North Road West) – 10 trees (size 10-12)
Tuesday 14th February
9.30 am – 12.30 pm Bennett Street (Mount Wise) – 3 trees (size 12-14)
Wednesday 15th February
9.00 am – 1.00 pm Devonport Road (Stoke) – 5 trees (size 12-14)
Saturday 18th February 9.00 am – 12.30 pm Crownhill West car park (Alexandra Road) – 4 trees (size 12-14)
Thursday 15th March 4.00 – 6.00 pm Abbey Place (by Magistrates’ Court) – 2 trees (size 10-12)
Thursday 22nd March 4.30 – 6.00 pm St Budeaux Park (Victoria Road) – 3 trees (size 6-8)
Family Tree Site
We will be meeting at the Family Tree Site in Central Park on Saturday, 24th March between 9.00 am and 12.30 pm to replace some trees, lay mulch and attend to stakes and tree ties. It cannot be beaten for exercise in the fresh air and in lovely surroundings. If possible please let Alan Harvey know, by emailing alanastra96@blueyonder.co.uk that you are coming; this would be much appreciated.
Jubilee Project
Tree planting will be an important part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year and, in Plymouth, plans are being made for a new row in Central Park led by Plymouth Tree Partnership. Details should appear presently in the local media and on www.plymouthtrees.org
Also, look out for moves with Central Park as the focus for a Queen Elizabeth II ‘Challenge Field’ bid. The initiative is being championed by the Friends of Central Park as it should help to deliver the approved master plan for the park with its high-quality landscaping and facilities. The master plan can be viewed at: http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/environmentandplanning/planning/deliveringchange/centralparkmasterplan.htm
Tree care
In all the excitement of new plantings, it is easy to forget that every young tree needs to be looked after until it is established. Protection from strimmers and proper support – not too much or too little – are absolutely vital and depend on us to provide it in most cases. Feel free to contact me if you are unsure about anything or need materials – we keep a stock of ties, strimmer guards and other items for the purpose.
Best wishes,
Andrew Young
Chairman, Plymouth Tree Partnership
6 Mannamead Road, Mutley, Plymouth, PL4 7AA
chairman@plymouthtrees.org