Celebrating Tree Week 2004 in North Down
Two hundred local children took time out, away from their classrooms, to plant trees with Conservation Volunteers in the beautiful Crawfordsburn Country Park on Tuesday 23rd November 2004. The tree planting was timed to coincide with National Tree Week – a Tree Council festival inviting everyone to help make trees matter by planting and celebrating trees.
The tree-planters ranged in age from as young as six to sixteen (plus a few very enthusiastic teachers), but age was immaterial as they all got stuck in to plant some Northern Ireland’s native trees. A mixture of pedunculate oak, hazel and ash were planted to fit in with existing trees in the local landscape and to begin the creation of a new native woodland – recognised to support the widest range of native plants and animals (biodiversity).
On arrival at Crawfordsburn, the spirited tree-planters were instructed in the art of safely planting a young tree and discussed the importance of planting native trees. Staff and volunteers (from as far afield as France, Germany and Spain) were in attendance to assist and encourage the tree-planters.
Each child planted one tree each, complete with mulch mat (with a tree guard added the next day by staff from Environment and Heritage Service, who manage the park. Conservation Volunteers, through the Northern Ireland Tree Campaign are keen to emphasise the importance of best practice when tree planting, and provided mulch mats to suppress weed growth in order to help the tree establish itself successfully during its first few years in its new home.
Don’t worry if you missed this event! Conservation Volunteers are organising public tree planting events across Northern Ireland to celebrate our rich natural heritage, our trees and our people throughout the tree planting season which goes on until the end of March. For up-to-date details on campaign events, workshops and activities click here or contact us.