Climate action group plants 650 indigenous trees

The Dane Valley Climate Action Group (DVCAG) has planted 650 indigenous trees across six sites in the Staffordshire Moorlands and Cheshire to help fight climate change.

The group, which was set up in 2019, planted the trees at Gun End Barn, Bent Head Farm, Rouster Farm, The Bent and Bennettshill Farm.

The planting went ahead despite the number of volunteers being restricting to two or three for each planting session in order to minimise any risk of coronavirus.

The group said it was a much slower process compared with the mass plantings last season but with the a few volunteers dedicated their time to several planting sessions it was possible to complete all the plantings as originally planned.

In addition on two sites the volunteers also erected fencing to protect the trees from damage by stock.

The DVCAG operates within the villages of Bosley, Macclesfield; Danebridge, Staffordshire; Heaton, Staffordshire; Rushton Spencer, Staffordshire, Swythamley, Staffordshire and Wincle, Cheshire.

All the landowners said they were pleased with the results.

Roger Lawrence, owner of Rouster Farm, said: “With all the problems and worries that 2020 brought to many of us, it is wonderful to see a group like the Dane Valley Climate Action Group continue unfaltering in their tree planting programme to help provide a greener and more carbon neutral future for us all.

"I am delighted to have been able to provide some land to assist them in their goals.”

The largest site was at Ryecroft Farm, home to Lyn and Ian Ankers, where a total of 254 trees were planted.

Lyn and Ian said: “We are really pleased that we have been able to spare some land for the planting and hope that this and all the hard and selfless work of the Dane Valley Climate Action Group will help, in some small way, in providing a more secure and sustainable future for our grandchildren and their grandchildren.”

The Dane Valley Climate Action Group was initially set up in October 2019.

It formally adopted its constitution in March 2020 and appointed seven trustees.

The main purposes of the group are to facilitate the changes that need to be made by all residents in order to reduce the community’s collective carbon footprint to the minimum achievable; and to undertake practical activities that benefit nature and the natural environment as well as helping in the fightback against climate change.

Chairman of the DVCAG Trustees, Julian Ruddock, said the success of the recent tree planting programme was down to three factors – volunteer labour, free trees and donations of materials.

He said: “We are very grateful to those who worked hard in planting the trees. Sincere thanks are due to Sam Alston, who provided most of the trees from unwanted nursery stock which he had planted out in his vegetable plot and nurtured, and to others who donated saplings which they had grown or which had self-seeded in inappropriate places.

“We are also most grateful to Carrs-Billington, for their donation of fencing materials, and to Travis Perkins for donating timber supports. We have also been fortunate in receiving donations of used tree protectors, which we have been able to refurbish and re-use.

“We are already looking towards the next tree planting season, starting in November.

"Several sites have already been offered and we have been gifted some tree stocks and tree protectors by Cheshire Wildlife Trust. What we still need are more tree protectors, stakes and fencing materials.

"Over the summer we hope to arrange some fundraising events and to apply for funds from appropriate bodies.”