New woodland for Bishop’s Stortford to feature most endangered native tree
Bishop’s Stortford Town Council is branching out with the creation of a new woodland for the town.
The authority is appealing for volunteers to help plant 1,500 new trees on land at Jenkins Lane, including Britain’s rarest native timber species.
The aim is to start the project, a partnership with Bishop’s Stortford Climate Group and Essex County Council, on Friday and Saturday, January 24-25.
The Forestry Commission has provided a £18,545 grant for the initiative, which will introduce a range of native species to around a hectare (2.47 acres) of land next to allotments.
A council spokesman said: “It will be open to the public and will have pathways and interpretation boards. The planting will include native black poplar, a tree which is sadly in decline in the UK.”
Mature trees – with shiny, green, heart-shaped leaves and red and yellow-green catkins – can grow to 30 metres (98ft) and live for 200 years.
According to the Forestry Commission, only 7,000 wild specimens remain in the country and only 600 are female trees.
As well as preserving the species, the new woodland will help absorb carbon dioxide to combat climate change, provide habitat for wildlife and help prevent flooding as well as create a community asset.
The climate group previously hoped to use the land for an orchard of fruit trees, but soil samples indicated the land – believed to be a former rubbish dump – was contaminated with lead and benzine.
The commission also had concerns about the pollution but gave the go-ahead for the project after further testing.
The council is working with the climate group on alternative sites for community orchards.
To volunteer to help plant the new woodland, email volunteer@bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk.
Full details, including start and finish times, will be provided on registration. Volunteers will need to wear sturdy boots and bring waterproof gardening gloves and coat/over-trousers.
All other necessary equipment will be on site. The council has some personal protective equipment and has produced a risk assessment for the planting.