New hedgerows will provide a home for wildlife in Colliers Wood
On Tuesday 26 January, the charity Trees for Cities will be hosting a community planting event at the Colliers Wood recreation ground in partnership with the London Borough of Merton through their Merton Greenspaces, initiative with additional support from City Bridge Trust, the Forestry Commission London Tree and Woodland Grant Scheme and The Tree Council Hedge Fund.
Over two hundred metres of native hedge will be planted by the charity and local volunteers to give a new home to wildlife, help secure boundaries and enhance the beauty of the area. Species to be planted include a mix of hedge plants and trees, such as wild cherry and silver birch.
Last year the park won a green flag and so it is hoped that the planting will continue the high standard of improvements in the park to win the award again in 2010. Green flags are given to the best green spaces in the country each year by the Keep Britain Tidy organisation based on their suitability to the communities they serve.
The planting event will be held on Tuesday 26 January 2010 from 11am to 3pm. Trees for Cities is working with Merton Council to deliver new green projects at Colliers Wood Recreation Ground as part of the charity’s mission to improve green spaces across the country and internationally.
Merton Council cabinet member for environment and leisure services Councillor David Simpson said: “This initiative is great news for Colliers Wood. We are committed to being a green borough in every sense. In total, three of Merton’s parks now hold Green Flag status. Working in partnership with Trees for Cities and the local community means we are able to maintain and enhance our beautiful parks and so improve the local environment for residents living nearby.”
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For further information, contact Stephen Gray, stephen.gray@treesforcities.org, 020 7820 4428 or visit http://www.merton.gov.uk/collierswoodrecreationground
Notes to Editors
1. Trees for Cities is an independent charity which plants trees and landscapes public spaces in urban areas. The charity’s vision is to stimulate a greening renaissance in cities around the world that will impact on global warming and beautify the urban landscape, as well as encouraging greater social cohesion through the active participation of local people. A special effort is made to involve children and young people in all of the projects. The public can get involved by sponsoring trees, registering as a volunteer, enrolling in training programmes, taking part in the annual Tree-Athlon and going to fundraising parties – see http://www.treesforcities.org for more information
2. The Tree Council is a leading UK charity for trees, urban and rural. It works and campaigns with partners, community groups, member organisations such as Trees for Cities and its national force of Tree Wardens, 8000 volunteers organised in local networks. Its Hedge Tree Campaign was launched in 2002 in support of the Government Biodiversity Action Plan on hedgerows, to improve hedge and hedge tree conservation and planting. This has been supported in 2009-10 by Stella Artois through their Real Hedge Fund campaign. The Tree Council raises money for distribution through other grants programmes and organises Seed Gathering Season, National Tree Week, the Tree Care Campaign and Walk in the Woods month, promoting the planting, care and benefits of trees, woods, orchards and hedgerows in a changing environment.
3. Photos are available of a group of volunteers (Trees for cities, Sky TV, local residents) and Merton Council Leader Councillor David Williams with Tree wardens planting trees on 26 January 2010