Wellies on, buckets in hand, they came from miles around to take part in an ambitious project that will benefit residents of a coastal community for generations to come.
Mums, dads, grandparents and kids all mucked in to help plant up to 3,000 trees in an area of land at Combesgate Valley in Woolacombe.
The new woodland will include native broadleaf species, such as English oak, beech, crab apple and hawthorn, all chosen for their benefits for biodiversity and wildlife.
The National Trust is leading the project to create Queen’s Wood, as it will be known, to encourage people to come and enjoy a peaceful space.
The two-hectare, wheelchair accessible site, will feature four areas, each linked by a meandering path through different ‘sensory zones’, following the themes of water, air, smell and touch.
Local volunteers came out in force – and through the mud – to make a start on planting the first wave of trees in this special spot.
‘It’s stunning,’ says Kerri Nias, who came along with her son James, four. ‘It’s just beautiful up here and it’s nice to think we are helping in some way.
‘As a family, we love being outdoors and we try to do our bit for nature. It’s great that my son has been able to come along and help.
‘He’s only four but he’ll be able to watch the trees growing and know that he helped to plant them.’
Local resident Susana Correia was also out getting her hands dirty. She works in the nearby Watersmeet Hotel and is looking forward to watching the fruits of her labour blossom and thrive.
‘I love doing these kinds of things and I think it’s going to look so amazing,’ says Susana, who is Portuguese and moved to this part of Devon more than 20 years ago. ‘I will keep an eye on these trees and every time I see them when I go to work, I will remember this day,’ she adds, describing the adverse conditions the volunteer tree planters found themselves braving. But cold winds, rain and even hailstorms didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm for the task in hand.
‘You just feel so good because you’re doing this wonderful thing,’ says Susana, who has three young granddaughters. ‘They will be able to see the trees and remember that I helped to plant them,’ she added. ‘It’s a day that will stay with me forever!’
The Queen’s Wood project is part of the National Trust’s plans for nature recovery, climate action and access to the countryside.
‘Every tree we plant will make a difference to our planet,’ says Stuart Ayres, National Trust ranger in North Devon. ‘They are good for people, nature and vital in our battle against climate change.’
Stuart says he was delighted with the turnout (about 55 volunteers in total) for the Queen’s Wood tree planting day and hopes it will be the start of many years of enjoyment for the local community at this site.
‘It’s just a lovely thing that we’ve created here on a patch of land that wasn’t really doing anything,’ says Stuart. ‘Because of the pathway amongst it all, people of all abilities will be able to access this little area of peace and tranquillity.’
nationaltrust.org.uk
