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Two young sappers were given the task of planting a commemorative sapling in Ripon’s Spa Park this week.
Next year marks the 75th anniversary of the award of Freedom of the City to the Royal Engineers, who provide military engineering support to the British Armed Forces and have had a base in Ripon for decades.
Ahead of the 2024 events to celebrate this military milestone, sappers Megan Smith and Scott Nield, both aged 23, planted the Zelkova serrata — a relative of the Elm, which is native of Japan.
The tree, provided by North Yorkshire Council parks department, can grow up to 17 metres tall, and was selected because it is a hardy variety with autumn leaves of vivid colours from red through to bronze.
Royal Engineers on last year’s Freedom March.
The sappers were joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda, along with fellow Royal Engineers from Claro Barracks and members of the Ripon branch of the Royal Engineers Association
Lt Col Perry Bishop, commanding officer at the barracks, where members of 21 Engineer Regiment are stationed, told the Stray Ferret:
“In a few years, with the redevelopment of the barracks site for housing, we will end our long association with Ripon, where we have enjoyed Freedom of the City since 1949.
“The tree provides a living legacy and reminder of the Royal Engineers’ time here, both in peacetime and when the country was at war.”
A major programme of tree and whip planting will take place over the coming weeks at Hell Wath Local Nature Reserve in Ripon.
Volunteers are being sought to assist with site preparation taking place from 10.30am tomorrow morning (Wednesday November 8) and to help with the planting of 50 native tree saplings and more than 800 whips, scheduled for Friday, December 8 and Saturday, December 9.
Organisers the Friends of Hell Wath (FOHW) have received support from North Yorkshire Council, which is funding purchase of the saplings and The Conservation Volunteers, which is donating the whips.
FOHW secretary Jeremy Dunford said:
“Most of the saplings — Field Maple, Alder, Holly, Crab Apple, Wild Cherry, Bird Cherry and Rowan — will be planted to fill in gaps along the existing tree line or be used to create interest and height within new hedgerows to be planted out using the whips.
“These saplings will replace some of the dead/dying trees that are evident in the local nature reserve. The species have been selected to provide shelter and food for birds and provide colour and interest throughout the year for visitors to Hell Wath.”
He added:
“The remaining saplings, a dozen Hazels, will be used to create a small coppice near the pond. There are already two mature hazel trees in the area so the additional saplings will create a very nice habitat here.”
The whips, comprising a selection of native species, will be used together with the tree saplings to fill in gaps in the existing tree line running alongside the River Skell.
The remaining whips will be used to create three new hedgerows across the lower meadow within the local nature reserve – leaving gaps for the designated footpaths.
The objective is to create wildlife corridors to enable bats, birds and small mammals to move between the upper tree line and the lower tree line to/from the river without crossing large expanses of meadow.
The new hedge lines will create meadow zones which will be actively managed to increase biodiversity within the Local Nature Reserve.
The photograph features a riverside walk at Hell Wath: Picture by Ripon Photographic Society
Read more:
New woodland created on the Stray in Harrogate
About 20 trees were planted on the Stray in Harrogate today as part of a scheme to create a new ‘pocket wood’.
The initiative, which took place during National Tree Week, aims to create a small woodland environment on the Stray, close to Skipton Road, that people can enjoy for generations.
Members of Harrogate branch of the union Unison joined staff from Harrogate Borough Council‘s parks and environmental services department to plant a variety of native trees, including elm and lime.
An avenue of 12 apple and maple trees was created on the Stray near Christchurch. Nearby, close to Regent Parade, another eight trees were planted.
Sam Perry, Unison branch environment officer, said the semi-mature trees planted today would, alongside the more mature trees nearby, would turn the area into a dense copse of trees. He added:
“The grass underneath will be allowed to grow uncut and, in the future, the canopy will also be under planted with smaller shrubs or wildflowers to create an even more diverse new ecosystem.
“Our new community pocket wood is a gift to our wider community in Harrogate and an invitation to all who see it to grow more green spaces in the world and more green thinking in their minds.’
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Stray Gardener: Create a legacy and plant a tree
The Stray Gardener is written by Rudding Park’s Kitchen Gardener, Fiona Slight. Fiona has worked in horticulture for more than 30 years in the UK and abroad, and specialises in growing fruit and vegetables for fine dining. This month, Fiona explains how and why you should plant a tree.
One of the most satisfying things to do in life is to plant a tree, not only is it contributing to helping the environment by providing habitats for wildlife, reducing carbon dioxide in the environment and enhancing your local area. They are great for your mental health, spending time with trees is a very relaxing and mindful thing to do and you are creating a legacy for generations of people for years to come.
But how do you get started? First of all, it is important you research your trees well and choose one that is suitable for your site. My heart always sinks when I see a tree such as the majestic monkey puzzle in a very small front garden, knowing it will never achieve its full life span of a 1000 years as it will have to be taken down long before that to avoid damage to the building it is next to.
Trees are best planted from October to April in the cooler dormant period of the year. This also means you can buy a bare root tree which is cheaper and are only available at this time. You can plant container grown trees too with the advantage that these can be planted pretty much all year round, but it does mean a lot more watering to get them established.
Once you are ready to plant, you need to dig a hole at least three times as wide as the pot or root spread and the same depth. Container grown plants benefit from having the roots gently loosened to help them to get established more quickly. It is a good idea to thoroughly soak the roots in a bucket of water before planting, some people also add a special powder with a fungus called mycorrhizae which can help the roots to establish quicker.
The tree can then be placed in the hole making sure that the point where the roots meet the trunk is level with the surface of the soil. You can use your spade placed horizontally across the hole to check if you are not sure the level is right.
Fastening a tree tie to the stake for stability
Then, it is just a case of refilling the hole, firming well and making sure there are no air pockets around the roots that could cause the root to dry out before establishing. Make sure the stem stays upright as you do this.
You may need to add a tree guard or spiral if you think there is a chance that the stems could get nibbled. Very small trees shouldn’t need staking and will grow better without one. Larger trees that may be top heavy will probably need to be staked to support them until they get established, usually this takes around 2 years. The stake is best put in at a 45% angle and the tree tied with a rubber or jute tie which can be screwed or nailed to the stake to keep it in place. Don’t forget to check the stakes and ties regularly and loosen as the tree grows.
A staked Davidia involucrata tree
After that, water well if conditions are dry and then add a layer of mulch around the base of the tree, making sure not to mulch right up to the stem as they can get smothered.
If you know somewhere you could put a tree, why not have a go this weekend and start creating a legacy.
Happy planting!
Fiona’s 5 Top Tips for February
- This is the perfect time to start dividing and re-planting snowdrops and winter aconites once they have finished flowering.
- Trim back Ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers that are starting to get too big before birds start nesting.
- If possible, Protect early flowering fruit trees such as Apricots from frost with fleece.
- Citrus trees can be top dressed with compost or re-potted if required.
- Start chitting seed potatoes
Pupils at Harrogate’s Ashville College have planted hundreds of trees in an effort to boost biodiversity on campus.
In partnership with the Woodlands Trust, pupils under the supervision of the independent school’s grounds team added 420 native British trees to the site.
The trees included a mixture of hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose and rowan and created a hedge running adjacent to one of its sports pitches and a public footpath.
Annual tree-plantings are among many initiatives led by the College’s dedicated Green Committee, which works hard to encourage pupils to think about how their actions can either harm or benefit the environment.
In the last two weeks of term, the Green Committee also ran a Fairtrade stall in the College’s Pre-Prep, Prep, and Senior Schools, where pupils were the vendors.
Cathy Price, Ashville College Green Committee lead, said:
“The latest round of tree planting and the Fairtrade stall have come at the end of an extremely busy term for Green Committee members.
“Climate change and the environment have been on everyone’s radar, and this is going to continue. By making even small changes to our daily routines, collectively we make a big difference to the environment in which we live, work and go to school.”
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The trees planted are in addition to 500 native trees that were planted last November to enhance existing hedges or establish new ones to the southwest edge of the 64-acre campus.
The Woodland Trust has provided all the trees as part of its Big Climate Fightback campaign, which has so far seen more than 1.8 million trees planted by schools, community groups and businesses around the UK.
As the saplings grow, they will provide a habitat and movement corridors for wildlife and produce pollen, nectar, nuts, fruit and berries for insects, birds and small mammals.
100 trees to be planted in Harrogate district for Queen’s jubileeTree planting has begun across the Harrogate district to mark the queen’s platinum jubilee next year.
About 100 elm, oak, hornbeam, sycamore and lime trees will be planted in the district as part of a nationwide initiative called The Queen’s Green Canopy, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘plant a tree for the jubilee’.
The trees will be planted on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Jacob Smiths Park in Knaresborough, High Cleugh in Ripon, Pateley Bridge recreation ground and Boroughbridge recreation ground.
One tree from each location will be saved to plant on February 6, the queen’s accession day.
Harrogate Borough Council is organising the project and hopes the initiative will also help it achieve its carbon reduction initiatives. It is encouraging everyone, including individuals, community groups, businesses and landowners to also plant a tree.
Councillor Andy Paraskos, the council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:
“The Queen’s Green Canopy is a wonderful opportunity for us to not only honour Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee but also help address the climate situation and deliver carbon reduction initiatives throughout the Harrogate district.”
The Queen’s Green Canopy will coincide with the borough council’s plans to plant thousands of trees in Bilton Beck Wood and Willow Wood, Harrogate and Upper Horse Shoe Fields, Knaresborough as part of the White Rose Forest partnership.
To get involved and plant a tree, people can pin it to the Queen’s Green Canopy map. It will then count towards Harrogate’s total.
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For every for-sale and let sign, FSS will plant a tree
This article is sponsored by FSS.
Feather Smailes Scales (FSS) have become the first Harrogate estate agent to launch a ‘plant a tree’ scheme to help combat climate change, ahead of next week’s COP26 Climate Change Conference.
For every for sale, to let or auction board put up, FSS will plant a tree. So when your for sale sign goes up, you’ll know that somewhere in the world, a new tree is growing too, and the planet is a little better protected.
Harrogate’s leading estate agent have joined forces with a tree planting agency to ensure that they do their bit for our world.
The trees will be planted as part of a wider project to support communities in poverty and increase biodiversity in Madagascar, Kenya, and Haiti. Not only will the trees themselves help the planet, but the planting projects also help grow the economy and offer employment opportunities in these low-income communities.
Simon Croft is a partner at FSS. He said he hopes thousands trees will be planted under the company’s scheme:
“We are all much more aware of the need to be greener, as such all of us at FSS wanted to contribute to reducing our carbon footprint.
“We are conscious of numerous things we can do to help, such as staycations, recycling, sustainable energy, or greener cars – and they all have divergent arguments as to how green they actually are!
“To try and improve our green footprint as a business, we have decided to plant a tree for every single board we place on property or land we have for sale or to let, across sales, lettings, auctions and commercial property.
“Trees are without doubt the lungs of the earth and are essential to our future wellbeing on this wonderful planet.
“We feel the physical planting of a tree couldn’t be more demonstrative of our wish to improve the environment.
“So you know whenever we are instructed, you are also helping to help us save our world!”
FSS, the only fully comprehensive property agent in the district, offers a range of services, including sales, lettings, surveys, auctions, valuations and commercial offerings.
FSS Property are leading the way with combatting estate agents’ carbon footprints.
Anyone who instructs FSS to sell, let or auction their property will have a tree planted on their behalf! You can follow how many trees the company has planted by checking the tree-counter on their website.