Manor Woods Valley has only just gone and made an even bigger contribution towards the fight against climate chaos and the recovery of nature! It will not have gone unnoticed that there has recently been a whole swathe of tree planting in our local nature reserve. Over seven hundred trees were planted near the Vale Lane entrance and one hundred were planted near the bottom of the path down from Valley Road entrance, all part of Bristol’s One Tree Per Child project. All the new trees are native broad-leaf, chosen to reflect the species already thriving in the woods and some new varieties to increase diversity. They include:
Field Maple, Silver Birch, Downy Birch, Dogwood, Hazel, Hawthorn, Spindle, Crab Apple, Wild Cherry, English Oak, Rowan, Small Leaved Lime and Guelder Rose.
The Manor Woods Valley Group also planted thirteen more fruit trees in Manor Woods Orchard and over a dozen more donated trees and shrubs throughout the woodland near the allotments.
Bristol City Council’s One Tree Per Child project began in 2015 with the aim of planting one tree for every primary school aged child in the city. The target of 36,000 trees was exceeded by 2016 and the project has continued to plant 6,000 trees per year, one for every pupil starting school each year. Bristol’s One City Plan includes a target to double the tree canopy in the city by 2046 and it’s great that Manor Woods Valley’s new trees are helping.
And why is this so important for the local SOUTH Bristol communities? The Woodland Trust makes a powerful case for the value of trees: “Trees are the ultimate carbon capture and storage machines. The entire woodland ecosystem plays a huge role in locking up carbon, including the living wood, roots, leaves, deadwood, surrounding soils and its associated vegetation. And trees do more than just capture carbon. They also fight the cruel effects of a changing climate. They can help prevent flooding, reduce city temperature, reduce pollution and keep soil nutrient-rich. The bottom line is, we need more trees and we need to protect the ones we already have.”
Trees are also a haven for wildlife; they provide fruit and nuts for birds and mammals, insects that are food for birds and bats feed on their leaves, birds nest in them and they provide safe travel corridors between areas. The newly planted areas will help make wildlife friendly links between Manor Woods Valley, the Northern Slopes and Crox Bottom. So, enjoy Manor Woods Valley even more and look after the trees, please.
manorwoodsvalley.org 