Past Projects – 2011-12
Edgbaston
Senneleys Park, Bartley Green
Students from Birmingham University joined local residents to help plant an area of mixed woodland along one edge of this large park. In addition to the 1000 saplings, 4 red oak and 3 ash standards were planted to mark the edge of the new woodland and add some maturity to the planting. The students were taking part in the ‘Plant a Tree for your Degree’ initiative.
Bromwich Wood, Bartley Green
21 enthusiastic puplis from Kitwell Primary School, joined by 15 sixth formers from King Edward Five Ways, extended the woodland started the previous year at Bromwich Wood overlooking the reservoir. The older students arrived later so the younger ones enjoyed giving them their instructions, and teamwork was much in evidence! The two age groups mixed well together to plant 500 mixed native saplings on a beautiful sunny day.
Meadow Road Allotments, Harborne
BTFL provided 5 apple trees to the Karis Neighbour Scheme for their Community Allotment at the Meadow Road site, which as a social and therapeutic value. Karis is a charity that offers practical help and advice to help overcome social isolation and derivation in the Ladywood and North Edgbaston areas. Local people are shown how to grow their own fruit and vegetables and encouraged to get involved in the gardening tasks, then they can enjoy the fresh organic produce distributed through the Karis office.
Erdington
Farnborough Fields, Castle Vale
The Community Environmental Trust at Castle Vale ran several planting events covering a range of activities, including a community planting day called “Dig it, Plant it, Tag it” where residents were invited to come out and plant a tree in memory of a loved one, to commemorate a special occasion, or for Mother’s Day. Over 60 people have participated. The Trust also held several school events, which have seen 162 children from 5 participating schools planting trees. In February and March 2012, about 600 trees were planted in the Castle Vale conservation area, and the remaining 400 trees have been “heeled in” in the Community Garden to be planted next autumn. A wide range of species was planted, including alder, black poplar, willow, hazel, hornbeam, crab apple and beech.
Twickenham Public Open Space, Kingstanding
10 large trees, including 7 different varieties of maple and sycamore, were planted to form part of a longer term project to create an avenue of trees along the walkway/cycleway from Sutton Park through to Witton.
Wendover Green Link, Perry Common
This is an important part of the linear green space that flows through the Perry Common area, between a new health centre and a redevelopment site. The local Community Association wanted to enhance some new paths with tree planting, and ten large trees were planted, including Scot’s pine, London plane and silver birch. One of the members of the Community Association who came to help has lived in the area for nearly 70 years!
Short Heath Park
Ten enthusiastic pupils from Court Farm Primary School got the BTFL Big Tree Plant programme off to a fine start by planting 10 large trees, and even added a time capsule to one of the tree pits.
Hall Green
Sparkhill Park, Springfield
10 trees were planted with the help of 19 children from nearby English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School, including Liquidambar for autumn colour, silver birches with bright white bark, walnut trees, oaks and tulip trees.
Farm Park, Sparkbrook
Children from Montgomery Primary School, representing the School Council and Forest School Group, braved freezing cold to plant 10 trees with enthusiasm, assisted by representatives from Sparkbrook Neighbourhood Forum. 5 small leaved limes and 5 disease resistant elms were planted to retore avenues in this historic park badly damaged by the tornado.
Hodge Hill
Glebe Farm, Shard End
This large open space under the flight path is rather bleak and the addition of 1000 saplings to create an area of woodland should enhance the riverside area for local wildlife. 30 children from Audley Primary and 8 older students from Cockshut Hill Technology College worked hard in small teams, on a glorious sunny day, to plant the trees, helped by a member of the Friends of Kingfisher Country Park.
Colebourne Meadows, Hodge Hill
The Lord Mayor and 45 children from Colebourne J&I Schools helped us to launch our Big Tree Plant programme, enhancing a nature area used by the school. 1000 saplings and 3 more mature trees were planted. Members of the Friends of Kingfisher Country Park were also on hand to assist.
Ladywood
Booth Street, Soho
Our last planting event of the year involved 38 children from 3 different schools! James Watt Primary, Holyhead College and Birchfield Community Schools helped to enhance a small inner city park with a small woodland area on a site of previously demolished housing. A mix of saplings and larger trees, such as Sco’s pine and silver birch suited to the rubbly soil were planted.
Osler Street Play Area, Ladywood
Staff and members of the Chamber of Commerce planted 10 substantial trees to enhance this inner city playground, which used to be back to back houses. Scot’s pine, silver birch and holly mean the local residents now have a much greener outlook.
Foundry Road, Winson Green
This very urban site has been enhanced with 5 large trees (silver birch, alder and oak) and 300 mixed saplings, planted by 30 children from the nearby Foundry Road School and ably assisted by 4 older students from Cockshut Hill Technology College.
Northfield
Lickey Hills Country Park, Longbridge
8 volunteers from the Lickey Hills Society assisted local park Rangers to plant the first group of 20 fruit trees to create a new community orchard. Later that week, bespoke tree guards were added by conservation volunteers. Local heritage varieties have been selected, and the orchard will be extended in the autumn of 2012.
Victoria Common, Northfield
BTFL has filled gaps in an avenue along the main path with flowering hawthorns and cherries and increased the park’s tree collection with an Indian bean tree and a foxglove tree. The Friends of the park were, on the same day, busy creating a new orchard, also through Big Tree Plant funding.
Perry Barr
Hamstead Playing Fields, Perry Barr
10 large new willow trees were planted along the bank of the River Tame by children from Cherry Orchard Primary School on a cold sunny day, to enhance this area which is an important wildlife corridor.
Handsworth Park, Handsworth
12 specimen trees were planted in this historic park by 15 pupils from Handsworth Wood Girls’ School. Unusual types of oak and beech, and trees with interesting leaves were planted to enhance the selection of trees in the park. It is hoped to creat a Tree Trail in the park in the near future.
Selly Oak
Bournville Valley Parkway
A set of triplets were among the six students from Dame Elizabeth Cadbury College who came along to plant trees to help revive an ancient hedge line opposite their school.
Sutton Coldfield
Rectory Park, Sutton Coldfield
This was our 2011-12 ‘Plant a Tree for Life’ Sponsors’ planting event and was attended by over 100 people who planted nearly 40 ‘feathers’ – young trees about 6 feet hgh, and over 100 saplings to enlarge a Millennium Woodland. Tea and coffee were kindly provided by Sutton Coldfield Cricket and Hockey Club in their pavilion. The Friends of Rectory Park turned out in force to support the event and have since been keeping an eye on the trees for us.
Glover Road, Falcon Lodge
This wedge of open space between Glover and Churchill Roads is part of a green corridor and we enhanced an old hedge line with 10 larger trees and lots of saplings, helped by ten pupils from John Willmott School proudly wearing their Gardening Club wellies!
Yardley
Sheldon Country Park
Park volunteers and 12 cxhildren from Grace Academy in Chelmsley Wood helped rangers to create an orchard of traditional English apple trees near the Visitor centre.
Fox Hollies Park, Acocks Green
28 Oaklands Primary children and 13 older students from Saltley School braved snowy ground to plant 500 whips in a nature area of the park.
Small Heath Park
10 pupils from Small Heath School’s Eco Committee planted 10 red oaks in this urban park, which many of them use every day on their journey to school. Small Heath Community Forum and the Friends of the park also helped to plant the oaks, which will give lovely autumn colour.