Planting Sustainability in the Hearts of School Children in Bulford

A group of under-fives from Noah’s Ark Nursery in Bulford has planted fifty trees within the woodland adjacent to the Bulford Community Centre as part of a tree planting project funded by Aspire Defence Services Ltd to help restock the woodland.

The idea behind the project is to replace trees which have been felled as they were a health and safety risk. This includes trees that were either structurally weak, or heavily damaged by squirrels or deer, and had a high chance of falling onto footpaths which run through the woodland, thereby posing a significant risk to walkers using the paths.

Additionally, as part of ADSL’s management plan to enhance the growth of the woodland, create good quality habitats and encourage increased biodiversity, it was also necessary to carry out thinning or clearance works to remove lower quality trees which would allow better-quality trees to have more space to thrive or be replanted.

The re-planting exercise not only encouraged sustainability, but by collaborating with the children of Noah’s Ark Nursery, it provided an opportunity to involve the local community in an initiative with a long-term focus.

Speaking on the children’s participation with the project, ADSL Tree Manager, Graham Sear noted,

“All the children got stuck in and did a fantastic job. They will be able to see the trees they planted begin to come into leaf and grow on their woodland walks during the spring and summer months.”

Noah’s Ark Nursery Manager, Shayley White, also commented on the impact collaborating on the woodland planting project had on the children:

“The children had such a wonderful experience planting the trees. For many of them they watched the trees being taken down and were fascinated by the machinery and watching it happen. To then be able to be part of the replanting was such a lovely learning experience for them all”.

Over the years, Aspire Defence has successfully partnered with the local community to carry out several planting exercises all with the objective of increasing the number of trees planted across the garrisons and surrounding woodlands. Most recent of these exercises was the planting of 70 saplings at each of the Garrisons within the Project Allenby/Connaught footprint, in honour of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. This is part of the wider support provided to the Army’s goal of achieving 14% tree coverage across their estates.