(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy, Tree Warden/Champion,  Dallington & Brightling)

For a number of years, the two parishes have shared one Tree Champion. But there is no limit on the number a parish can have. This was brought home to me recently during a zoom webinar on the new Rother Tree Champion scheme during which I discovered some areas have a half a dozen or more. There are so many things that need to be done in our parishes and I really need some help doing them.

If this interests you, here’s what The Tree Council, the organization that set up the National Tree Warden scheme, says about the role (https://treecouncil.org.uk/take-action/tree-wardens/):

What Tree Wardens do

Tree Wardens plant, protect and promote their local trees. No training or experience in tree management is needed – just a love of trees and a few hours to spare. Tree Wardens are organised into local groups. Each group is managed by a co-ordinator and is autonomous, meeting regularly to decide what they would like to focus on.

Some of the projects Tree Warden groups have done include:

• • Arranging local tree planting days
  • Pruning, watering and giving vital aftercare to local trees after planting
    Rejuvenating local woodlands in need of management
    Raising funds and identifying suitable land for local tree planting projects
    Going into schools to talk to young people about the value of trees.

To that list I would add:

• • Surveying the tree stock of the parishes so that informed decisions can be made about planning and other activities that impact our trees, and
  • Conducting guided walks for our parishioners.

Please get in touch if you think you could help (contact details below). You don’t have to be a tree expert (I’m not) – just enthusiastic!

Doug Edworthy, Tree Champion, Brightling & Dallington Parish Councils
Email: [email protected]   Mobile: 07711 090925

[Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy]

Have you been thinking about planting some woodland or hedges on your land?

Our beautiful AONB in the High Weald is characterised by interlinked pockets of ancient woodland and small irregular-shaped fields and it is important to maintain and enhance this as much as possible. So, of course, it has to be ‘the right trees in the right places’.

Your Brightling and Dallington Tree Champion is seeking landowners with suitable land in Brightling and Dallington parishes that falls within the Dallington Forest Project area (see map above – larger version at end of this post) for planting-up of small woodlands or hedges. Dallington parishioner Jamie Simpson has a source of funding for the supply of native trees together with the necessary protection from rabbits and deer. The cost to landowners would be for planting labour and follow up aftercare necessary for successful establishment.

Suitable planting projects would be:

• • Creating new woodlands (with the proviso that important grassland or heathland habitat is not damaged or destroyed)
  • Creating new woodland to link existing pockets of ancient woodland
  • Filling gaps in neglected or poor condition hedges to restore them
  • Replacing some of the enormous number of hedges that were removed in the 20th century’s drive for bigger agricultural fields

Planted trees/hedges must be able to be appreciated by the public, so must be within sight of a road, right of way or on public land. Grants need to be applied-for during the summer so that the funding is available for an autumn/winter planting project.

If you are interested in this project please contact me as soon as possible.

Doug Edworthy, Tree Champion, Brightling & Dallington Parish Councils  [email protected] 07711 090925

 

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy):

Rare Black poplar trees looking for a planting place

Our tree Warden, Doug Edworthy, has had a great response from people willing to have one of the rare (and free) Black poplar plants growing on their land.

Due to the generosity of Wakehurst Place (the Kew Gardens outstation where clones of the remaining Black poplar strains are being cultivated) we have six plants more than we have planting places!

These Populus nigra betulifolia can live for up to 200 years and grow to 30 m (100 feet) high. They are the food plant for the caterpillars of many moths, including the hornet, wood leopard, poplar hawk and figure of eight. The catkins provide an early source of pollen and nectar for bees and other insects, and the seeds are eaten by birds.

Doug is looking for land that is boggy or wet, close to a watercourse or on a floodplain owned by someone who would value having one of our rarest trees on their land.  If possible, a planting position within sight of a road or public right-of-way would be preferred so they are visible to the public.

They must all be planted by the beginning of March before bud-burst so please get in touch with me urgently if you are interested. Contact details at the end of this message.

To protect the trees from deer and rabbits, and ensure their best start in life, Doug will provide netting, stakes, rabbit guards, tree-ties, mulch and other planting accessories which he has purchased himself, so he would be grateful if the landowner could reimburse these costs at £20.44 per tree.

Also, any help to dig holes and erect fencing would be gratefully received as a total of 29 trees need planting before March.

Email [email protected]
Mobile 07711 090 925
Tel 01435 830195

Our Tree Warden, Doug Edworthy, has put together a very helpful short summary of the official advice – essential reading for any landowners who may have ash trees on their land, especially if these are near a boundary. Please read carefully – action now could save major problems and costs in the future.

190702 action this year