Pupils from The Chase School have planted 7 large trees near to the school as part of a tree planting project in Great Malvern.
Members of the school’s Eco Club took part in the community project last week, led by the Malvern Hills Trust.
Sixteen eager students from years 7 to 13 prepared the pits, planted the trees and erected protective guards. Using a wide variety of hand tools the pupils gained new practical skills from the experience as well as learning more about their local environment. The students will now see the trees they planted grow to maturity and form an important part of this area’s local character.
Trust volunteers also took part in a planting day and planted 12 trees along the Poolbrook Road.
In total, 39 standard trees have been planted along the wide verges of Sherrards Green and Poolbrook Road, bringing multiple benefits to these communities. A mixture of native species including Apple, Hornbeam, Lime, Rowan and Cherry have been selected in the hope that a broad mix of species will be more robust against diseases and climate change.
The project has been funded by the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund which provides grants for tree planting projects in areas where tree cover is low and where communities would most benefit from new trees.
Trees within the urban landscape bring huge benefits to the local environment by providing homes for wildlife, reducing air pollution, cooling the local microclimate and helping to tackle climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It has also been proven that spending time near to trees and wooded areas improves people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.
Beck Baker, Community and Conservation Officer said "It was a delight to involve The Chase pupils in our tree planting project. The pupils brought a real enthusiasm and were keen to get stuck into all aspects of the planting process. We're extremely grateful for how hard they worked and the results of their efforts are clear to see with seven new trees planted near to the school."
"This project is an opportunity to bring a new generation of trees to some of Malvern's urban areas. These locations have been chosen where there are fewer trees and where tree planting will positively impact communities, both environmentally and socially, and the local landscape character too."
This tree planting follows the restoration of a community plum orchard near St Andrews Road also funded by the Urban Tree Challenge Fund.
To help people find out more about the trees planting and their benefits to wildlife, people and climate, the Trust will be leading guided walks around the new planting sites this spring. Further information will be published on the Trust’s website shortly
