Tree-mendous volunteers plant for wildlife at Norton Fitzwarren

 

Volunteers from the community and Somerset Council braved the cold earlier this month to help plant trees and a wildlife hedge at Norton Fitzwarren Playing Field, a new community facility that was built using Section 106 funding from the nearby St Modwen development.

Across two separate days almost 300 native trees were planted to build a new hedge that will help absorb water, provide habitat for wildlife, and act as a wildlife corridor across the playing field. Due to the bank being frozen on the second day, volunteers used the time to lay mulch to lock in moisture and keep the weeds at bay around the trees, and more trees were planted around the new attenuation pond which will be allowed to grow to full height to provide shade and protection from wind for pollinators and other wildlife. We will be arranging another community planting day soon, to finish planting the wildlife hedge! If you’re interested in helping out, we would love you to join us. Keep an eye out on Somerset Council’s Facebook page.

We want to give a big tree hug and say a massive thank you to all our volunteers for digging in and helping out. And the same goes for our friends at Reimagining the Levels (RTL), who provided the trees with a small donation from the council. RTL is a group of people who take action to protect communities and landscapes from flooding, supporting landowners throughout the Somerset Levels and surrounding hills to plant trees and hedgerows. Their knowledge and expertise on the planting days were invaluable.