Tree Planting Fortnight 2020 - We need you!


TREE PLANTING FORTNIGHT 2020 - 1000 TREES AND NO CHILDREN TO PLANT THEM

ANDOVER TREES UNITED NEEDS YOU!

This has been a tough year for everyone and especially the young. They have had to adapt to major changes to their home and school lives and the reality is that Covid-19 restrictions are putting huge pressure on schools and therefore their engagement with external projects is understandably being affected. 


Since 2012, hundreds of school children from across Andover have participated in an annual tree planting fortnight at Harmony Woods, a community woodland which sits behind Augusta Park. The new 12-acre woodland now has 8,000 trees which have been planted mainly by children. It is a wonderful sight to behold and the children are very proud of their achievement and their contribution to the improvement of the local environment and the creation of a vital habitat for wildlife. 


We are currently working with schools, who are doing all they can to enable some way of participating in the 2020 tree planting fortnight. However, the likelihood is that we will only see a small fraction of the number of school children up at the woodland this year.  Although, as per every year, we have 1000 trees which must go into the ground and we need YOU, to make it happen! 

  • Help children plant trees during tree planting fortnight - Nov 16-27.

  • Help us plant trees on behalf of the children of the town - throughout winter.

  • And if you have a child attending a local school, please do bring them up to the woods on a weekend workday so that they do not miss this opportunity.


The trees are currently ‘resting’ in a tree nursery however if we don’t get them into the ground properly they will perish. In addition to the usual tree whips (young trees) we have 25 mature trees which are being dedicated to lives lost during the pandemic.


Our site is Covid secure and working to government guidelines and the safety of our volunteers is of the utmost importance to us. We have plenty of space to ensure you can maintain social distancing at all times and we will still be able to work throughout the lockdown. No experience of tree planting is needed, all will be explained and participation is FREE.


In years to come, the people of Andover will owe a huge thanks to you for the confidence you had to invest in the future however, of equal importance and without exception, ALL our volunteers report a feeling of fulfilment and increased wellbeing following the planting of a tree and I hope you agree, we could all do with a bit of that right now!


If you would like to find out more about how you (and your bubble) can help plant a tree for a school or get involved in our extended winter planting programme then please email us now volunteers@andovertrees.org.uk

We look forward to planting with you!

Andover Trees United

 
Anna Taylor