Holmes Park in Broadstairs has a new addition following the donation of a Norway Maple tree from the Isle of Thanet Trees & Woods Initiative.
The initiative, led by Luke Evans and the Thanet Community Forest School, was set up after a successful bid to the Urban Tree Challenge resulting in programme to plant 1,200 trees at isle sites.
On Wednesday (April 22) Karen McKenzie, Broadstairs & St Peters voluntary tree warden and husband Terry Oki were joined at Holmes Park by Peter Hasted, from ITTWI, who brought the tree donation.
Karen said: “We wouldn’t normally choose to plant at this time of year, we prefer to plant when the tree is asleep during the winter. If you plant in the Spring the trees need a lot more water to get started. Luckily, we have Paul Dickenson, who lives nearby and he and his family have adopted the tree.
“They will do all the watering to get it off to a good start over the next two years. He joins a small band of Tree Champions who have adopted recently planted trees. He is our fourth Tree Champion in Broadstairs.”
Peter added: “We were delighted to receive some donated trees from Premium Plants, but they arrived at the end of our programme so it was difficult to find homes for them. It is poetic that Holmes Park is the new home for this beautiful maple and when it is fully grown it will look stunning here.
“This tree could eventually reach 22 metres in height, so it needs space and Holmes Park is perfect for it.”
Emma Penny, Open Spaces Manager for Thanet District Council, supported the planting, provided the tree could be maintained by volunteers. Her team is already over-stretched and the Covid19 situation has made routine watering even more difficult.
If you would like to know more about Tree Champions and adopting a tree you can contact Karen on [email protected].