Witchford’s new trees urgently need your help!

You may have noticed some of these springing up all over Witchford over the last year – 158 of them to be precise! 

These are young trees funded by Witchford Parish Council’s Tree Programme and planted by Witchford’s Open Spaces Group which URGENTLY need your help to survive the next couple of years to give them a chance to establish their root systems in our dry climate.

Once grown, these 158 new trees will provide:

• shade and cooling for people and animals as our climate continues to heat up,
• wildlife habitats and a source of food to give nature a boost in our village,
• 158 biological wonders hard at work removing the carbon that we produce out of the air and storing it in branches and roots to combat climate warming,
• natural drainage in the event of local flooding,
• beauty and interest throughout the year.

When there is no rain, your tree will need a 2 litre drink of water once a week, preferably in the evening when the heat of the day has died down.

Remove any weeds growing up the plastic protective funnel now and then to ensure that they aren’t blocking light from the young tree or taking up water that your tree will need.

Although the plastic protective tree guard may look like it is stopping your tree from growing, it is there to stop rabbits and deer from eating bits of the tree until the tree is old enough to take care of itself.  Don’t worry about the plastic – the Open Spaces Group will remove the guard when the tree no longer needs it and, where possible, it will be recycled to protect another young tree.