Oak trees from little acorns at Potland Burn
Local schoolchildren help plant trees as part of rehabilitation plan for UK Coal surface mine
LAST month children from Bothal Middle School in Ashington helped to plant 500 young trees as part of the restoration of UK Coal’s Potland Burn surface mine.
The trees will form an important part of the rehabilitation of land following mining and become a haven for wildlife and biodiversity.
Since the site began producing coal in 2010, more than 27 hectares of land have already been restored to provide green space and improved farmland, with some sensitive areas of ecological interest being doubled in size.
Most of the tree whips planted were oak and birch, while other berry- and nut-bearing trees and shrubs have been selected to create habitat and shelter for birds and other wildlife.
Up to 5,000 trees will be planted over the next few weeks, as well as hawthorn and other shrub hedgerows to create field boundaries as part of the site’s return to farmland.
Pupils from Bothal Middle School visited the Potland Burn site last year and have also made an application to Potland’s community fund.
The school will benefit from £15,000 to launch the ambitious Bothal’s G.O.L.D. Project (Great Outdoors Learning Development) this summer.
Bothal Middle School’s principal, Andy Roberts, commented: ‘We’re delighted to have developed such a strong relationship with UK Coal as a corporate community partner, and to learn practical biology and geography skills as part of the tree-planting project is a fantastic additional learning experience for our pupils.
‘We are also pleased that UK Coal is supporting us with a significant financial donation. This means we can move the Bothal’s G.O.L.D. project forward so that local children can experience the benefits of forest, nature and outdoor learning.
‘We look forward to repaying their faith in us by delivering a first-class outdoor area over the summer, ready for pupils return to school in September.’
The 242-hectare site at Potland Burn has already recovered two-thirds of its 2 million tonne coal target over its six-year life.
Once restored, the site will become a major ecological habitat, including wetlands, woodland and agricultural land.
