Together, we continue to smash our tree-planting targets, planting millions of trees for climate, wildlife, and communities! But we have only just begun. With the help of thousands of community groups and volunteers like you, we are going further than ever before with I Dig Trees. Claim your free trees here and take a look at the interactive tree map to see where trees have already been planted – are there any in your area?
As the tree planting phenomenon continues, Emma Cartwright from Wild Wisdom Community Farm tells us how the trees ordered through our #IDigTrees programme are helping to bring the community together to create habitats, food, and shelter for the benefit of wildlife and biodiversity…
Bringing the Community Together
The day dawned bright and sharp on Saturday, 13th January, over at Wild Wisdom Farm in North Worcestershire. Expectations and excitement were high, but also apprehension. We had set ourselves the mammoth task of planting 950 British native trees in just one weekend, and we had no idea if we could pull it off! We prayed for dry weather and unfrozen ground, and as it happened, we were blessed with the perfect conditions.
Setting the Stage for Success
But let me wind back a little to the previous summer. Wild Wisdom Farm is a small community collective set up by myself and my husband, Paul. We are lucky enough to have access to some farmland and had always dreamt of growing our own food and working in harmony with nature. We set up a trial of the No Dig Method of growing food and were amazed at the success we – as total newbies to growing – had.
Paul was keen to take the project to the next level, and so he opened the doors to our local community to get involved in the fledgling project and become part of a community farm. We set up a CIC to promote the No Dig Method and Regenerative Agriculture. With no external funding, an emphasis on all-natural methods, recycled materials, and lots of teamwork, we have created a space for wildlife to flourish, food to grow, people to enjoy, and learning to take place.
Embracing the I Dig Trees Programme
We saw TCV’s ‘I Dig Trees’ free tree opportunity, and Paul – never one to do things by halves – decided to apply for the maximum amount of trees available. After all, our site needed a complete new hedgerow to run along the entire length of the field, and we had a lot of empty space to fill. Once we were allocated the trees and were given the delivery date, we went to work on organising the tree-planting event. We knew we would need as many hands as possible to get them all in – far more than just our immediate collective of around 20 people.
Creating a Buzz and Gathering the Community
We set the date for the Tree Planting Weekend and created a buzz on social media, sharing it on local village pages and with allotment groups, schools, scouts, girl guides, conservation, and nature groups. We encouraged everybody along, from children to grandparents, and promoted it as a day out, a fun family activity, and something positive to do for the local environment. We also posted it on our own Facebook and Instagram pages.
We signposted the village with signs for “Tree Planting this way” and asked everyone to bring a spade with them!
Paul printed information provided by TCV and also compiled details of all the trees to be planted with a short description and accompanying pictures.
This information, together with a site map, was pinned up on the side of our tool shed for people to read. The info gave people a focus when they arrived on site and provided a bit of a talking point, letting them relax, chat, and get settled. It also gave people an understanding of the aims of the weekend and a sense of how the project will enhance the land for generations to come. To further support the fantastic I Dig Trees programme, we also put up posters around the site asking for donations.
The Big Day: Planting and Community Spirit
Our community members were ready on site to direct the members of the public who turned up, and pretty early on Saturday morning, people started to arrive – generally with no idea at all of how to plant a tree, but with masses of enthusiasm! We gave out info packs with the planting method described, but also physically showed everyone how the planting process worked.
We soon worked out that it would be best to split into small teams and plant the long hedgerow by section. We also planted a woodland/shelter belt area and an oak circle, which we envisage to be a beautiful picnic or gathering space in decades to come. These were tackled after the main task of the hedgerow was well underway.
Paul created a measuring system for the hedgerow so we could put a feature species every 10 metres, which will be allowed to mature to full size. Paul had prepped the area in which the planting was to take place so it was easily visible for all ahead of time. He mowed and strimmed a clear space where the trees were to go in and cut and painted lengths of wood with marks on to show where each tree should go. With 950 trees, this proved absolutely essential!
Teamwork and Specialisation
We soon found that Mr Henry Ford did indeed know what he was doing with his mechanisation process and quickly realised that with this huge number of trees to plant, it works best to have people specialising in particular roles. People soon assorted themselves into:
- Diggers who split open the ground in the correct place
- Planters who put the tree in and closed the earth up
- Guarders who put on the guards
People switched roles freely when they got tired. We also had people keeping an eye on the straightness of the hedgerow line – we had two rows of trees stretching nearly 200m! It did get a little wonky in places, but it all adds to the beauty of it!
A Community United
The turnout from the local and even wider community was absolutely huge. People were arriving all day, and actually, by Saturday afternoon, we had to hold some trees back so as to have some left for the Sunday! We kept people going with copious cups of tea, biscuits, and breaks and had many kids and dogs running around enjoying the space as well as getting stuck in and learning about not only tree planting but everything that we do at Wild Wisdom Farm.
On the Sunday, we planted the remaining trees and also watered and mulched with woodchip the entire 950. Rather an epic task but well worth it as 7 months later they have virtually all survived and are absolutely thriving.
Sharing the Success
Many photos and videos were taken on the day and shared on social media, which really helped everyone to see the entirety of the project, not just the little bit they were involved in. All in all, it was a wonderful event that not only transformed the empty landscape of an ex-large scale agricultural field to an interesting and vibrant space for biodiverse wildlife but brought together many people from the surrounding areas of different backgrounds and communities.
The feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive, with a huge sense of achievement felt by all!
Training Videos for Volunteer Tree Planters
For future events, to ensure the success of your tree planting efforts, we recommend utilising two essential training videos provided by TCV. These videos are instrumental in training volunteers on careful tree planting techniques and successful aftercare to help the trees thrive. You can watch these videos below:
These resources are invaluable in ensuring that your trees not only survive but thrive, contributing to the climate, wildlife, and our community, and significantly increasing biodiversity in the area.
We wholeheartedly recommend the I Dig Trees programme from TCV for any community group looking to make a positive impact on their local environment!
We’d like to say a huge thanks to Emma and the Wild Wisdom Community Farm for contributing this guest blog. And we are also delighted to announce they won the TCV Heroes, I Dig Trees Group of the Year award!
The Conservation Volunteers has the ambition to plant millions of trees across the UK with the help of community groups, corporate sponsors, and people like you. Are you in?
