Did you know that one of the easiest ways you can help nature is by growing and planting a native tree!
Growing trees can really help nature recover and improve the natural environment where you live, for both wildlife and people, for generations to come.
As part of our vision for creating a sustainable new community at Langarth we are planning to plant over 5 hectares (12 acres) of new woodland and other trees throughout the site to provide food, shelter, shade and nesting and roosting sites for wildlife, as well as supporting cleaner air and helping to capture carbon.
As a garden village we want to do everything we can to preserve and enhance green space.
As well as managing existing woodland and maintaining existing Cornish hedges, we will be creating new hedges and wild flower meadows and using sustainable drainage with swales, ponds and wetland areas as a natural flood prevention system, providing habitats for insects, songbirds, badgers, otters and other amphibians.
New allotments, community gardens and community orchards will help support food production and bring communities together.
We are also backing a fantastic new campaign developed by Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Cornwall Council’s Forest For Cornwall team which is encouraging people to collect, grow and plant their own tree seeds in Cornwall.
Grow More Trees campaign
Launched earlier this year the Grow More Trees campaign has been asking people to get involved in a county-wide autumn seed search by pulling on their wellies and getting out and about to collect tree seeds.
Tree seeds come in all shapes and sizes- so try and make sure you are collecting seeds from trees and shrubs which grow naturally in Cornwall. There are a huge range to choose from – including alder, blackthorn, elder, English oak, hawthorn, hazel, holly, rowan and sessile oak.
Once you have collected your seeds you need to plant them out in pots and containers to grow until the seedlings are strong enough to be planted out in a recommended location.
You can find out more about this brilliant campaign on the Cornwall Wildlife Trust website https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/growmoretrees
The partners have also produced a leaflet for local schools https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-10/Grow-More-Trees-Autumn-Seed-Search-WEBSITE.pdf.
Planting a Forest for Cornwall
Every new tree which is planted in Cornwall will contribute to The Forest for Cornwall, an ambitious tree planting project by Cornwall Council with the principle aim of fighting climate change.
When complete, it’s hoped it will cover approximately 8,000 hectares – that’s about 2% of Cornwall’s land area.
How can I get involved?
The best time to collect tree seeds is between September and October so you still have a few more days if you want to get involved in this year’s campaign.
We are very excited about taking part in the Grow More Trees campaign to help us create our own new woodland here at Langarth Garden Village.
If our plans are approved, our development will be phased over 20 to 25 years, with work on building the first new homes due to begin in 2022.
That means that if you collect tree seeds now and grow them in your containers, you could be planting your seedlings at Langarth ready to welcome the first residents as they move into their new homes in 2023.
And if you do plant seedlings next year just think how much the trees will have grown when the final homes are built in 2038 !
We are also planning to create our own tree nursery using native species at Langarth – so we will definitely be collecting all kinds of seeds next year so we can watch our forest grow.
