New growth at Forterra’s Jubilee Wood
National Tree Week sees further 1,350 trees planted to form part of Queen’s Green Canopy
EARLIER this year as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), Jubilee Wood was established with 150 trees planted on agricultural land owned by Forterra, close to the company’s Kirton brickworks.
More recently, as part of National Tree Week (27 November to 5 December), students from Kneesall Primary School’s ECO group helped with the planting of a further 1,350 trees consisting of hazel, rowan, oak, hawthorn, blackthorn, cherry and silver birch, which will eventually grow into a natural, biodiverse woodland.
The ecological benefits of the woodland will be significant in a number of ways. Tree planting is a simple but highly effective way to reduce air pollution, at the same time creating havens for wildlife and improving the respiratory health of the people living nearby.
Forterra have commissioned countryside management company Greenfields Countryside Ltd to prepare and carry out land maintenance between each planting. This will ensure the trees are well cared for and given the best opportunity to grow as quickly and healthily as possible.
Andrea Hodgkinson, headteacher of Kneesall Primary School, said: ‘Our ECO group had a great time helping Forterra plant the new trees. We try to introduce them to a wide range of sustainable activities from recycling to a clothing swap, and this was a fantastic opportunity for the group to be out in nature and participate in a hands-on project.’
Local councillor Tim Wildgust, who helped with the planting, added: ‘The woodland is a brilliant project. It’s great when companies contribute to the local community in such a way. I look forward to being able to walk my dog among the trees.’
Stephen Harrison, chief executive of Forterra, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see our Jubilee Wood grow. Thank you to councillor Wildgust and the ECO group from Kneesall Primary for helping out; they did a great job.
‘We are always looking for ways to help the environment and to operate more sustainably, so the woodland is a massively important project to us. We were delighted to add to our woodland area as part of National Tree Week and look forward to seeing the site at Kirton grow into a biodiverse woodland area over the next few years.’
