This small forest school asked for help as their playground was very cold and windswept, especially in Winter and they needed some protection from the weather. They also needed some extra forestry areas for the children to learn about the environment.
On a cold windy February day, together with the team from The Tree Shop, we created another “Optimal Shelterbelt” around the perimeter of the degraded hedge. Before planting the ~2,000 trees, we pinned biodegradable weed control matting, and were blessed with the help of some supportive local volunteers and from the school itself.
Trees were planted as bare rooted 40-60cm whips and were protected with 1.2m tree tubes and stakes in clusters of the same species, randomly spaced. Shrubs were protected with 75cm shrub guards and stakes. Random gaps were left to provide open areas in the woodland. The children will be able to watch them grow to create a wonderful outdoor classroom.
