Have you visited the Climate Change Exhibition at Heartlands yet? Heartlands is a free attraction in Redruth which offers a great day out, and on 1 December the Forest for Cornwall Tree and Nature Hub was launched there during National Tree Week. To mark the occasion, volunteers planted 122 trees in the Heartlands grounds, already home to the wonderful Diaspora Gardens.
Members of the CFWI Environment and Public Affairs Sub-Committee have been meeting with representatives from Forest for Cornwall (F4C) to see if WIs across Cornwall can help with maintaining newly planted trees. F4C is committed to a 2030 target of planting trees on 8,000 hectares of Cornish land, working with community groups, farmers, landowners, businesses and individuals (and of course WIs). Since 2019, 450,000 trees have been planted across 500 hectares, and all these young trees need to be cherished until they are properly established, and beyond. There is great potential for WI members to get involved, especially in times of drought when young trees need watering.
F4C is working closely with LiveWest Housing to plant trees on their estates in Penzance, and a number of planting days are planned for the coming months. They have a scheme whereby individuals can become Tree Wardens by applying through their Town or Parish Councils, and then would be eligible for training, workshops and support in the management of trees. In addition F4C will be setting up an ongoing maintenance plan for the recent plantation at Penmount Cemetery on the outskirts of Truro, which would involve sessions to help weed mature trees, check stakes, and audit tree health. F4C is also working across several fire stations in the county where new trees have been planted and are looking for local individuals to help with maintenance during the coming year. So look out for a project near you!
For more information on how your WI can get involved, contact F4C Project Officer Alex Forrester on 07719 996955 or alex.forrester@cornwall.gov.uk.