Over the course of the last year, TDN has been working with Trees for Cities to plant 300 trees on a brownfield site called Abbey Hill, on the outskirts of London in Sidcup, Kent. The project's aim was to regenerate and bring life back to a neglected suburban area, to protect the space from the very real risk of development, and simply to get more trees into the ground. The project was funded using money donated to TDN's Tree Planting fund.
On Friday 2 February, 200 of the trees were planted, a mix of native broadleaved species such as oak, hawthorn, guelder rose and blackthorn, and will contribute to a larger woodland scheme in this area. Originally organized through the Greenwood Grove, at the last minute key members of the Grove could not get time of work and / or fell sick; an urgent call was put out for TDN members and users to come and help out with tree planting. A wonderful crew gathered together to whom we are enormously grateful.
Needless to say, this is a project TDN will continue to be involved with. We shall fund a marker that states our involvement, make ritual at the site, and keep track of its progress on these website pages.
SKIP TO : Abbey Hill Millennium Wood Open Day
The Druid Network Tree Planting Day : Friday 2 February 2007
A few words from those who gave their energy on the day ...
Coming from afar afield as Hertfordshire, West London, East London, and Kent, five of us met at the entrance of the Park at 10 am, each hoping the overcast skies would not turn to rain.
We walked across the park to meet up with Ben, from Trees for Cities, who was waiting at the area where the planting would take place. This was once an allotment site, and is now quite rough ground. We were to fill in an area of land at the end of two lines of mixed native trees, which had been planted around six years ago, and were now well established. These native trees gave out an energy of gentle wildness, within a public recreational park, and it was quite magical knowing our tree planting would help to extend this area of gentle wildness.
As a few of us had not been to a tree planting before, Ben showed us how to dig, and plant the saplings, in the correct way. We soon got the hang of it, and so began the task of planting. The ground was rough and although easy to work with in some places, was also quite difficult to work with in others. We helped each other, and soon easy chatting and laughter flowed.
Ben had asked that we plant in straight lines and had shown us how far apart each sapling, and line, should be, but, this was a Druid group, and Druids and straight lines were never going to be compatible! Needless to say, we very soon lost sight of straight lines, and Ben accepted that it might be better if we planted the trees where we felt was right, as long as we left the required space for the strimmers to get round. He said that some saplings will inevitably not survive, and some will be thinned out and moved at a later date. And so we began planting ‘by feel’.
We were joined later in the morning by two more willing volunteers, and so by lunchtime we had managed to plant 200 saplings, a mixture of blackthorn, hawthorn, oak, and dog rose, but alas, not in straight lines!
We sat down to have our packed lunches. Tired, but exhilarated. The sun had come out, the sky had changed to blue and it was really quite warm, as we sat eating and chatting, amidst the squawking of a small flock of paraquets who have taken up residence in the area.
Whilst planting, I had noticed a hawthorn tree which was not only in bud, but some of the buds were breaking out into flowers. And it is only early February. This end of the park is quite protected, which is great news for the survival rate of the saplings we had been planting.
And then came the afternoon session of mulching. We had thought the tree planting hard work, but it was nothing compared to the shovelling, wheeling the barrows, tipping and spreading the mulch around the saplings, and thickly over the ground. We were all surprised what hard work this was.
Again though, Druidry came to the fore. We didn’t have any set routine as to who was to shovel, wheel, or spread, and we didn’t need one. Working together we each did what was required, changing from shovelling, to wheeling the barrows, to ‘dumping’ and spreading. Who needs a foreman! We worked together as a team, by now not only chatting and laughing, but commiserating with each other on aching backs and joints!
As the large pile of mulch began to diminish and we began on the second pile, we were surprised at the heat coming from within. A couple of us got down on hands and knees, saying how wonderful it would be to roll in these luxurious warm, damp wood shavings, but plunging our hands into the warmth was as far as we went!
Somehow we managed to finish the mulching by 3.15, and looking at the area we had covered, felt very proud of ourselves. We had worked hard, and apart from the break for lunch, non-stop.
We hadn’t managed to plant the remaining 100 trees, and Ben confirmed that these would be planted at a later date by Trees for Cities, in another area of the ex-allotment. He also said that Bexley Council are to remove the gates and fence currently shutting this area off from the rest of the park, during this coming year, and hopefully by the summer, so that this area of woodland will be open to all.
We ended the day with a simple and informal circle, each giving our prayers and blessings to the young saplings so they may grow strong and healthy.
And so we left, tired and aching, each feeling very positive, knowing that we had worked hard, friendships had been formed, we had laughed and chatted, worked well together, and all having strong hopes that this gentle wild woodland will grow and benefit the local community.
And so thanks to Simon, Suzanne, Cath, Lindsey, Caroline, Kathryn, and Ben (who kept us motivated and ‘loosely’ organised), for making this a very successful and fun Druid Network Tree Planting day.
Sue Bouvier (TDN Membership Co-ordinator)
Well, I had fun, I hope everyone else did too - thank you to all. It felt really good to be working outside for such a positive cause. The 6 (later 8) of us put in around 200 trees - planting in the morning, mulching in the afternoon. Ben was great, the weather approved of what we were doing, the only downside was our slight failure to work in straight lines... ;-) I hope everyone didn't suffer too much the following morning ...
Simon
It was a really good day, meeting people I have never met before. Projects like this seem to attract people from so many different backgrounds who all find something in common. We all had a had a laugh together, while exploring our own connection to the world around us. It is great to be part of a community which accepts people with such different beliefs, who dont see each other, or their beliefs, as threat.
It was also good to be part of a project which was already underway, as I could feel part of a continuing living and diverse tradition, and connect with people I would never meet.
I think trees dont like being planted in straight lines. I personally think they moved while we weren't looking.
Lindsey
Abbey Wood Millennium Wood Open Day, 12 May 07
There will be a wonderful day of celebration at the site on Saturday 12 May, 11 - 3 pm, with all the usual fun things for you and the family, refreshments and crafts.
Download flyer as a pdf
