The Borders Tree Planting Grant that was launched on the 29th
of April this year has been receiving applications now for over 7 months and
the season for planting trees has finally arrived, and after helping a number
of applicants successfully access grant funding for their small woodland planting
projects (less than 0.25 hectares) the planting of trees that have been funded
by the grant is under way. We have had wide range of applications from right
across the Borders including schools, community groups, farmers and private
land owners. The community group at March Wood were granted funding to plant 33
native trees in order to help improve the woodlands biodiversity and amenity
value.
March Wood is a community woodland in the Yarrow Valley
sitting on west the bank of St Mary’s loch and stretching along the fringe of
Bowerhope Law and located along the Southern Upland Way. The woodland is shown
on one of the earliest maps of Scotland, is situated where the old road from
Selkirk to Moffat once was and may be a remnant of the ancient royal hunting
ground – the Ettrick Forest. March Wood consists of mainly mature trees and is
currently grazed by sheep and cattle throughout the year. This grazing by
livestock and browsing from the local deer population means that the woodland is
not regenerating by natural means and so it is important to plant trees so that
the woodland can exist for years to come.
On a wet and windy day by the banks of St Mary’s Loch I met
with the volunteers from March Wood who had all the trees (Alder, Sessile Oak
and Scot’s Pine) and protection ready for the arrival of Yarrow Primary School.
The volunteers headed into the wood to make the necessary preparations so that
the young tree planters could get stuck straight into the action.
Upon their arrival it was clear that the youngsters didn’t
mind a little bit of rain and were enjoying the chance to learn outside of
their class room and started by skimming stones across the loch.
Stone
throwing competition
|
When we made it across to March Wood we gathered around a
board that was erected in 1997. The board listed the names of children who
planted trees in March Wood 18 years ago who were also from the Yarrow Primary
school. The pupils recognised most of the names as adults they now knew in the
valley, and when they were able to see the size of the trees that had been
planted they were really impressed and were looking forward to coming back in
another 18 years to visit the trees they were about to plant today.
Yarrow school students of 2015 standing beside a plaque with a list of students from 1997 who also planted trees here! |
After we had a good talk about the benefits of trees and the
reasons planting trees is a good thing the young planters were given a tree
each to plant at places that had been marked out across the wood.
They separated into four groups of 4 and each team worked
together to plant four trees across the woodland.
Concentrating hard. Planting an Alder near the burn in March Wood |
All of the groups worked very well together and shared out
all of the tasks equally for each of the trees.
One of the
teams and their newly planted Scots Pine!
They all did a great job of digging
a hole and planting the tree and heeling in the saplings. To make sure the tree
would grow big and strong
.
Name writing
The children then wrote their names
onto the tree stakes so that they could come back to March Wood and find their
trees again!
Even the
teachers had a go!
Once the trees are planted they
will be protected using tree tubes and then further protected by metal cage
guards, so that they will not be grazed or browsed by livestock or deer.
All in all it was a great day out
and a very successful day of tree planting.
A special thank you to all the
children from Yarrow Primary school for helping to plant the trees at March
Wood and the team of volunteers ably coordinated by Frank Harkness we look
forward to welcoming you back in 18 years to check on the progress of the trees
you planted.
The Borders Tree Planting Grant is
available to any organisation or individual that
can suggest a planting project less than 0.25ha that will enhance the landscape
and biodiversity of the Borders and make a contribution to improved public
amenity. Funding of up to £1000 is available per applicant per year and the
grant will be running until April 2018. For further information and to access
application forms and guidance documents please visit our website; http://www.bordersforesttrust.org/borders-tree-planting-grant/.
Alternatively
you can also send an email to alasdair@bordersforesttrust.org or call the Borders Forest Trust Office on 01835
830750.
The Borders Tree Planting Grant
project is part funded by Forestry Commission Scotland, Woodland Trust
Scotland, Scottish Borders Council and Fallago Environment Fund and is
administered by both myself here at the Borders Forest Trust and my colleagues
at Tweed Forum.
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