As part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the Woodland Trust were giving away free packs of trees to community groups. The Friends of Dog Kennel Hill were lucky to be chosen to receive a pack of 105 “wildlife” trees which included: hazel, birch, rowan, hawthorn, blackthorn and oak. There was one particularly special tree: an oak that had been cultivated from an acorn from one of the Queen’s estates.
About 20 people turned up on the morning of the 12th February and started digging. Together we planted a native hedge of hazel, hawthorn and blackthorn along one side of the fence and then scattered the remaining rowan, oak and birch throughout the wood. The youngest tree planter was given the job of planting the Queen’s Oak and tying on the red, white and blue ribbon that had been provided!
We hope that as some of the existing sycamores die then they will be replaced with this native stock of new trees. We will need to keep an eye on them over the next few years and ensure that they get enough water in their first year at least.
Many thanks to everyone who helped and to the Woodland Trust for giving us the trees.
