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12
Dec 2020
Harrogate school boosts environment by planting 500 trees
A school in Harrogate has planted 500 native trees to help boost the local environment.
Working with the Woodland Trust on its Big Climate Fightback campaign, Ashville College has planted the saplings to enhance existing hedges and establish new ones on the south-west edge of its 64-acre site.
Grounds staff used a mix of hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose and rowan, which they hope will provide a habitat for wildlife and produce pollen, nectar, nuts, fruit and berries for insects, birds and small mammals.
Ashville's estates director, Aaron Reid, said:
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- Thousands of new trees could be planted in Harrogate
It is the latest in a series of initiatives by the school to reduce its carbon footprint. Now, it sources all of its electricity from renewable sources, has solar panels on one of its classroom blocks, and collects rainfall from the sports centre roof to water the cricket pitches.
Green waste is chipped and used as mulch or compost, local contractors are used whenever possible to reduce travel time and support the surrounding economy, and the catering team avoids single use plastic and recycles its used cooking oil into soap and biofuel.
Cathy Price, Ashville College teacher and Global to Local Action in Methodist Schools co-ordinator and the school’s Green Committee lead, said:
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