New wood for Nidd Gorge to celebrate 100 years of scouting
17 OCTOBER 2007: BRAND new
woods don't get planted very often but that is exactly what members
of the Bilton Conservation Group are planning to do on 26 and 27
October. This volunteer group has taken up the
challenge set by the Woodland Trust to create 100 new woods across
the country to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the
scouting movement.
One hundred scouts from across North Yorkshire will join the
Bilton Conservation Group on Friday 26 October to plant 2000 trees
donated by the Woodland Trust. The Bilton
Conservation Group has also been fundraising to buy a further 1500
trees which they plan to plant on Saturday, 27 October and they
would like local residents or visitors to join them.
Keith Wilkinson, Secretary of the Bilton Conservation Group
which is celebrating its own silver anniversary this year says
anyone who joins in will be helping to make a little bit of
history. "The planting event marks the start in
the North of England of a partnership with the Woodland Trust to
mark the Scout Association's centenary year. The
aim is to make sure that each of the 400,000 scouts in the UK has
the chance to plant a tree to mark their centenary in
2007. The initiative also provides scouts and
young people with the opportunity to learn about and engage in,
woodland conservation.
"We have been planting trees at Nidd Gorge for over 20 years
and it had long been our aim to really make an arboricultural
impact. Nidd Gorge is still a hidden gem in our
district and we want to open it up to more
people. What better way than to involve the
scouts and the public in this joint venture. We
sincerely hope that as we celebrate our own golden jubilee in 2032,
many of these young scouts will return to the wood to celebrate the
maturing of the trees they have helped plant.
And in the meantime, many more people will get pleasure from
them."
Harrogate Borough Council's arboricultural team have been
helping to advise on the planting of these new trees on this public
open land, which the council has made available for this
project. Over 80 per cent of the new trees are
Oak and the remainder are of mixed native
species. The council is also providing six
tonnes of recycled wood chippings to 'dress' the base of these new
trees to protect them from weeds and to help retain soil nutrients
and water. Wheelbarrows, spades and other
materials will also be provided by the council if required during
the project.
Anyone interested in joining in on Saturday, 27 October
between 10.00 am and 3.00pm should just turn up at the Bilton
viaduct, which is accessed from the bottom of Bilton Lane. The
access to the wood itself is off Bilton Lane, along the old railway
track opposite Woodfield Road and is suitable for people who need
to use a wheelchair. The trees are small so it
isn't a hugely strenuous exercise. But strong
footwear is recommended and it would be helpful if you could bring
a spade. Soft drinks and cake will be
served.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: 12 noon on 26 October
with the Scouts and 27 October with the
public.
FURTHER INFORMATION is available from Mr Keith
Wilkinson, Secretary of Bilton Grange Conservation Group on 01423
564708 or mobile 0770 8644413.
NOTE TO EDITORS: The joint
venture is part of the Woodland Trust's Tree For All campaign, the
biggest ever children's tree planting operation, which aims to
involve one million children in planting twelve million trees
across the UK the equivalent to one tree for every child under the
age of sixteen. Already over 3.5 million trees have been planted as
part of Trees for All.
Yorkshire Water has also planted 10,000 trees at the water's
edge of Nidd Gorge and the Conservation Group is delighted that
there is a growing number of Roe deer returning to this area which
was once part of the Forest of Knaresborough - a vast Royal
hunting-ground established by the Normans. It
extended west from Knaresborough for some 20 miles and covered
100,000 acres.