Volunteers plant trees in South Hams

A landscape improvement for Ivybridge

A small park in Ivybridge has had 16 new trees planted by local volunteers to improve the landscape and the environment. 

It follows a survey, organised by South Hams District Council in 2020, on how to improve areas like Woodlands Park in Ivybridge. 

In a community organised event on Saturday [26 February], South Hams council chairman cllr Richard Foss (Conservative, Allington and Strete) joined local councillor Lance Austen (Conservative, Ivybridge West) to help plant the trees, which include an avenue of eight flowering cherries.   

Cllr Foss (Courtesy: Local Democracy Reporting Service)

The event was organised by ParkLife South West and funded by cllr Austen and fellow ward councillor Louise Jones (councillor) through from their climate change and biodiversity locality funds.

Keith Rennells, director of ParkLife South West explained they were planting 16 specimen trees.

“We’re doing this in Woodlands Park for a number of reasons, he said. “We’re doing it to improve the landscape here, we’re doing it for wildlife, for biodiversity, we’re doing it, as well, because trees obviously are very good for climate change mitigation. So, they lock away carbon. 

“And the particular celebration is that it’s the Queen’s Green canopy.  So this is part of a national scheme to plant trees for the Platinum Jubilee. 

Cllr Austen added: “In the past, the parks didn’t really get an awful lot of funding and they didn’t get a lot of investment. 

“So over the years, a park like Woodlands Park here in Ivybridge hasn’t really had much tree planting. 

“What’s great is to see the community come out together, get involved and actually start getting some trees back in and making the park look better in the future really.”

Ivybridge has also seen investment in other tree schemes through the Woodland Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund (ETF). This has seen the start of planting of 4,000 broadleaf young trees across the South Hams by the end of March. 

Cllr suggested it was a small step towards resolving an important problem.

“Each councillor was given a sum of money – £3,000 as a matter of fact – to support local town councils and parish councils,” he said. 

“I’ve got six parish councils that are doing the same and it’s going to help with the biodiversity, it’s going to help with the issues of global warming. 

“Unfortunately, it takes a long time for trees to actually do what they need to do but that doesn’t mean we don’t carry on and do it.”  

The Emergency Tree Fund scheme is being carried out by a partnership of local councils, community groups and schools. 

Woodlands Park and Torr Park, also in Ivybridge, are owned by the district council.

Filham Park is owned by Ivybridge Town Council but will also be included.