Thanet’s ‘first arboretum’ will be created at a huge tree planting day at Dane Valley Green next month.
The event, part of the Isle of Thanet Trees and Woods Initiative (ITTWI) which has successfully secured £525,000 from the Urban Tree Challenge, will be a ‘monumental’ undertaking, says ITTWI lead Luke Evans.
Luke, who is the founder of the Thanet Community Forest School at Dane Valley, said: “ We plan to plant 200 trees of 50 different species to create Thanet’s first Arboretum. There will be hundreds of volunteers, lots of Scouts, and diggers to get the holes dug. It is going to be a monumental undertaking and will transform the green.
“This is planned to be the biggest tree planting day of the whole ITTWI project so we need as much help on the day as possible. Planting 200 trees in one day is going to be an absolutely massive undertaking.
“We do have some tools for community use but if people have their own spade to bring along it will be great. The more people using tools at the same time means more holes get dug and more trees get planted.”
The planting will be held on Dane Valley Green, in between Dane Valley Woods and Millmead Sure Start, on February 22 from 10am. People are advised to wear appropriate footwear and gloves on the day.
The ITTWI project is headed up by Luke Evans, Colourful Margate lead Stephanie Nsom; Peter Hasted of the Sunken Garden Revival project; and Thanet councillor Ash Ashbee.
Having gained funding from the Urban Tree Challenge, the project intends to plant 1,200 trees across George Park; Dane Park; The Sunken Gardens Westbrook;and Dane Valley Green.
The Urban Tree Challenge Fund was set up in response to the Government’s 25 year Environmental Plan as a means of re-greening some the UK’s districts with low tree canopy coverage.
Thanet has the lowest tree canopy out of any district in the whole of the UK with just 4.4%. In comparison, London has a 29% tree canopy.
TDC should be asked to look after all the trees they`ve already got, e.g. those in Ramsgate Road Margate, adjacently opposite the access road to QEQM
Are you sure these trees are the responsibility of TDC, and not KCC?
No more passing planning applications that mean mature trees getting cut down. There are very few mature trees left in Thanet and we need as many as possible on the Isle to clean the polluted air we breath every day. Lets hope Manston doesn’t get that DCO passed for the polluting freight aircraft they want to bring into this tranquil corner of the country too.
Both TDC and KCC, then.