[L]oyal volunteers have just finished planting 5,500 native trees on land owned by Friends of the Lake District land at High Borrowdale, now within the extended area of the Lake District National Park. This major task has taken 18 months, 164 days of volunteer time, and to motivate and fuel the industrious volunteers, the consumption of around 500 pieces of cake!
Volunteers set about the task of creating an area of native woodland in the valley Alfred Wainwright once described as “the most beautiful valley outside the Lake District”.
Jan Darrall, property manager said: “We are grateful to every volunteer who has helped us to achieve this amazing target. It is down to their generosity and hard work in challenging conditions that we have been able to reach our target of planting, staking and tubing 5,500 trees. This gives the plants an excellent start and a chance to thrive in their new home at High Borrowdale.”
It is hoped that the planting of hardy native tree varieties like alder, ash, oak, rowan, holly, hawthorn, and willow will enhance the habitats and landscape as well as assisting in stabilising erosion. This area witnessed numerous landslides during the storms of December 2015 and since.
If you’d like to visit High Borrowdale and help with tree planting, you’ll find more volunteering dates listed on Friends of the Lake District’s website at: www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/Pages/FAQs/Category/volunteer-work-party-dates
