New trees for Jubilee Wood for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

 

In the past few days, Aly and Kim met to plant some new trees in the Jubilee Wood, as part of the Sports Centre's plan to improve nature on the War Memorial Recreation Field site.

Small trees in rabbit spirals

The trees were donated by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) as part of their #IDigTrees campaign, funded by Ovo Energy customers.

 

They include Oak, Silver Birch, Rowan, Beech, Hornbeam, Spindle and Goat Willow. 

Altogether, we have now planted 32 trees, as we also have a "Landmark Tree" given to our Parish by Saving Devon's Treescapes (Devon Wildlife Trust).

 

This has been planted as part of our Queen's Platinum Jubilee "Green Canopy".

Kim during the planting

After the planting we took a photo of Mike Wilson, who is Chair of the Winkleigh War Memorial Recreation Field Trustees with the Small-leaved Lime Tree.

 

Spring flowers are showing in the wood, and the ferns are just starting to unfurl their leaves.  There are primroses, greater stitchwort and celandine in flower.  There will also be bluebells in the next month.

 

Primroses

Greater Stitchwort

Lovely mature oak tree

Jubilee Wood - Winkleigh

Sycamore and Ash trees were planted in Jubilee Wood, Winkleigh for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. Over the past 45 years they have grown up to mature trees. Sadly, upon inspection, it was found that most of the Ash trees had the air-borne fungal disease Ash Dieback and so the decision was made to cut them down before they presented any danger from falling limbs. It is estimated that Ash Dieback will kill 90% of Devon's Ash trees in the coming years. Devon Wildlife Trust's advice is to leave the trunks upright, so that they may become hosts for insects and provide food or nesting sites for woodpeckers. In the photo you will see some of those which were truncated. Two of them have nest-boxes which were provided and installed by Winkleigh Environment Group. There are still several Sycamores and young Hazel, Hawthorn and Oak in the wood.

On these mature trees are a lot of lichen, including Pepperpot Lichen, Lecanora chlarotera, and Graphis scripta. I have submitted these records to Saving Devon's Treescapes Project. There are also primroses and a few bluebells within the wood. There are plans to plant additional trees within the boundary, as part of the Queens Jubilee Green Canopy.

 

 

 

Winter Winds

 

 

This week involved some tidying up of tree tubes and spirals, which were probably blown out of the ground by the twin Storms Eunice and Franklin. We had planted another 50 native tree seedlings during December and they certainly had been rocked around by the wind. Most have survived the winter and just needed stamping back into the ground. These trees were given to us by The Conservation Volunteers, funded by Ovo Energy. This year some of them were planted along the hedge in the Allotments to provide wind-protection.