Trees for Thanet (1996 - 2009)

WELCOME! ITS BEEN 12 PLANTING SEASONS SO FAR!

2009-02-22T23:17:00.005Z

Trees for Thanet Projects Map
. (Click on map and all photographs for enlarged detail)

What it's all for!

A one year old hedge with a 6m headland full of insect life and short-tailed voles, being used as a permissive bridleway by horse-riders on the left, with a potato main crop being grown. On the right barley growing right up to a narrow verge. (Manston Road - June 2007).

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The Trees for Thanet Group began in 1996 and has now involved over 300 young people from around Thanet in planting hedgerows and trees. We have been altering the look of lanes between Birchington and Manston for 12 planting seasons and collecting tons of rubbish.The aim was to to restore old hedges and create improved habitat for wild-life in an area under intense cultivation right up to road verges.

With the help of Quex Park and other sponsors and a great deal of hard work by young people, these aims are being achieved.The aim of this blog is to provide a history of the past 13 years and to keep anyone who is interested, updated on what is going on now.

The map above shows most of the sites referred to in each item but does not include the Trees for Thanet Projects in Broadstairs and Manston.

ERADICATION OF BROWN TAILED MOTH?

2009-02-22T22:58:00.004Z

Armed with secateurs and combustible paper sacks, the inspection of 7kms of hedgerow began one morning in February. The picture above does not show tissue or plastic caught in a young hedge but the 'tents' of the overwintering caterpillars of the brown tailed moth.
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A close up of the enemy! Each 'tent' can contain between 100 and 200 hibernating caterpillars.

This picture of the young hawthorn hedge alongside the bridleway that runs from Sparrow Castle Pumping Station on Manston Road to Park Road illustrates the level of brown tailed moth infestation. The 'clean-up' is estimated to have removed between 30,000 to 40,000 potentially very 'hungry' caterpillars which would have one sole purpose in life in March; to eat as much hawthorn leaf as possible!

An annual 'cull' will now be an essential maintainance task.

THE PHILLIPS ALDER LINE - MARGATE HILL, ACOL.

2009-02-22T22:07:00.006Z

(Project 17 - See Projects Map)
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We were very fortunate again this year to be sponsored by The Phillips Fund that is administered by Kent Community Foundation.
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The project involves planting 330 Alders along the south side of Margate Hill from the junction with Manston Rd at the top and down the hill to the outskirts of Acol. It will compliment the Phillips Shelter Belt on Acol Hill on the northern approach into the village.
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Purists may not be happy with our choice of tree but we decided to plant The Italian Alder (Alnus cordata) rather than the Common Alder (Alnus glutinosa).
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The location is subject to dry conditions in the summer with a shallow soil on chalk. We believe the Italian Alder, which still has nitrogen fixing nodules in its roots, will establish and grow well on this site to produce an attractive tree line in years to come.
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Planting began on Saturday the 17th Jan 2009 and was finished on Sat 31 Jan. Planting conditions were far from ideal with heavy rain preceeding each session. There was a further complication; Quex Park had leased the field for another farmer to grow a 'cash' crop of purple sprouting broccolli over the winter and harvesting on very wet soil ended up with compacted soil from a tractor wheel rut right on our planting line. It is fair to say that we ended up with heavy work to dig in compacted soil and one is able to see at close quarters the damage to soil structure created when heavy machinery moves on a wet field.

A welcome rest! The enthusiasm of our young volunteers in muddy, wet and cold conditions continues to amaze us.

The planting progresses! This is the view looking towards the Manston Rd/Margate Hill junction. Planting has been at 1.5m spacing and plants were then left to 'water-in' before mulch sheeting and tree guards were put in place.

The last thing we do at the end of every session is sweep back along the verge and field and collect the rubbish that our fellow Thanet citizens will insist on throwing out of their passing cars. That big white planting bag is full of roadside litter, collected from less than 100m of verge. It is fair to say that 'saving the planet' has no political hope if people do not even have respect for their own immediate environment.

KENT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HEDGE - SECOND STAGE

2009-02-22T21:45:00.004Z

(Projects 16 & 16A -see Projects Map)
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Work began on the second part of the Kent International Airport Hedge on The Shottendane Road, sponsored by Infratil and Quex Park Estates on Sat 15 Nov 2008 and despite loosing two mornings to bad weather (rain and waterlogged ground), another 1175 hawthorns were planted in a double row by the 20th Jan 2009.
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This will make the hedge 850m long and will, we believe, make it the longest continuous hedge in Thanet. Another 15 wild cherries will be planted behind the latest section.
. The picture above shows volunteers laying mulch sheet over the planted cut off hawthorns. It is a slow and careful process to cut slits with 'stanley knives' in the sheet and then feed the sheet over the stumps without removing any newly formed buds. The sides of the sheet are then 'spaded-in' using curved 'border knives' and clods placed on the centre about every metre to hold it down should edges become loose.

The benefits are early soil warming in spring, weed suppression and moisture retention. On a cold windy February morning with a wind-chill of -4C, it is difficult for volunteers to appreciate the good their work will do in the warm months ahead!

FIRST ATTACK ON BROWN TAILED MOTH TENTS

2009-02-22T21:17:00.006Z

We have identified that our first project in 1996 (Project 1) opposite the Sparrow Castle Pumping Station on The Manston Road (pictured above in Sep 2008) has probably been the original 'locus' of the Brown Tailed Moth infestation we noticed in early summer of 2008 on young hedgerows along The Manston Road (Project 12); on The HSBC Hedge (Project 13) and on the hedge on the north side of the bridle way (Project 9).

The picture above shows a Brown Tailed Moth Caterpillar on a young hawthorn in late September 2008.

This is the typical Brown Tailed Moth 'tent'. The adult female lays eggs in late Aug/early September and the very small caterpillars that hatch then collect together to form a gossamer 'tent' on twigs on the hawthorn. Between 100 and 200 little caterpillars then take up residence and overwinter. Removal of these 'tents' in late autumn and winter effectively removes the infestation and damage that these caterpillars wreak in the next spring; they will strip plant after plant of all leaf.

The end of over 100 'early' nests from the HSBC Hedgerow alone!

THE KENT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HEDGE

2009-02-22T21:01:00.002Z

(Project 16 & 16A on the projects map)

This is a view of the newly named Kent International Airport Hedge that was started in earnest in January 2008 on the south side of the Shottendane Road.
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Sadly, we learned that one of the co-sponsors, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines had gone out of business during the summer of 2008. This first section was planted in November 2007 and here it is in September 2008 looking excellent already.
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Altogether 2,231 hawthorns were planted in a staggered double row with mulch sheet laid and a total of 26 wild cherries were planted behind the hedge.

THE PHILLIPS SHELTER BELT - 9 MONTHS ON

2008-09-17T10:43:00.003+01:00

Last week, the third strim of the season was completed and slowly but surely, the process is allowing grasses to become established. We still do not know how 18kg of wild grass seed could have such little impact! Once we have predominantly grasses established, we will revert to an annual July mowing to create a richer wild-life habitat as the trees grow into a shelter belt stand.

We are absolutely delighted with tree growth at the end of their first summer on Acol Hill. There have been no casualties so far and all species have taken well. Not surprising, the trees at the bottom of the slope have made most progress with more water and a degree of protection from wind from the hedge and trees on the other side of the road. The wild cherry, willow and alders have shot away as the picture above shows. Further up the slope , less moisture and exposure to wind has resulted in slower growth as would be expected.

THE HUNGRY CATERPILLARS OF THE MANSTON ROAD

2008-05-27T20:35:00.003+01:00

The picture above shows a problem we have on The Manston Road with our young Hedgerows and with the HSBC Hedge. You are looking at a clutch of caterpillars of The Brown Tail Moth
( Euproctis Chrysorrhoea).

The female lays eggs in autumn and small caterpillars (by the hundred) wrap themselves in a collective 'tent' of white gossamer to over-winter and then embark on a leaf stripping exercise on hawthorns in the spring. They strip all leaves and seem to kill young planting. They spread out from the plant with their original 'tent' on and keep eating and defoliating as they go. We have noticed they are also quite happy to strip our young cherry trees as well.

This picture shows the distinctive 'tent' wrapped around a twig from a hawthorn and caterpillars on the prowl. They have two distinctive spots on the rear of the abdomen and contact with them or their sloughed skins should be avoided. These little beggars have hairs that irritate and can cause severe rashes and irritate the eyes.

Control methods are to spray in spring before they spread out along the hedge or better still, cut off and burn the white 'tents' in the late autumn (Nov/Dec). We will need to check over 5000 plants this winter if we are to control the problem!

WHERE IS OUR GRASS ON ACOL HILL?

2008-05-27T20:27:00.004+01:00

The shelter belt trees are thriving on Acol Hill at the moment but there is no sign of the result of hand-sowing 16kg of wildlife mix grass seed, as the picture above shows all too clearly. The crop (wheat) has been removed but at the moment we are likely to end up with a 1200m sq weed-patch that will need strimming or mowing to keep it down and encourage grass.

THE INFRATIL/OASIS HEDGEROW PROJECT ON SHOTTENDANE ROAD IS COMPLETED

2008-03-19T22:27:00.007Z

(Project 16 on Projects Map)

The new hedgerow project on Shottendane Road sponsored by Infratil (owners of Manston Airport) and Oasis Hong Kong Airlines was completed on Saturday 15 March 2008. In total, 2331 hawthorns and 26 wild cherry have been planted and 583 m of mulch sheet laid. Work began in earnest in January and its good to have finished the project within the time allocated.

The photograph below shows the laying, spading in and 'turf' weighting in progress. One of the problems we are experiencing is the early budding of the cut off hawthorn stems with the result that with even with great care taken, buds sprouting from the stem are damaged when laying the sheeting down. The idea of mulch sheeting is to suppress weeds, retain moisture and reduce maintenance in the first few years of the hedgerow's establishment. The photograph below shows the project from the junction of Shottendane Road and Minster Road looking west towards our Site 2 at the junction of Park Road with Shottendane Road. We have one or two serious infestations along the verge of 'Alexanders' and it is amazing to see them in flower in March! (They are meant to flower in June/July)

STRANGE GOINGS ON AT ACOL HILL

2008-03-17T08:43:00.005Z

The strange sight of all our trees on The Phillips Shelter Belt, Acol Hill covered in black dustbin bags was too good to miss. The story goes back to October 2007 when Quex Park were expected to drill grass seed into a 6m wide strip beside the road; wheat was drilled instead!

The blag bags were put on one morning in the last week of February to protect the young plants from herbicide and by early afternoon the shelter belt strip was sprayed with a weak Round-Up mixture to kill the wheat growing in it. The effect two weeks later is shown in the photograph below.

In late March, on a mild wet day, the strip will be hand-sown with a wildlife grass mix and hopefully we will achieve a grass sward to encourage wild-life whilst the shelter belt grows. The hymn 'Plough the fields and scatter' comes to mind.

CULMERS LAND FIASCO -10 YEARS ON

2008-02-04T22:53:00.001Z

In 1998 Trees for Thanet were asked by Broadstairs & St Peters town Council to help it plant a screening hedge in front of an un-sightly walnut pailing fence. This was done by end of Jan 1998 and as the photographs below show,a good screening wild life hedgerow was the result 10 years later. However, Broadstairs Town Council and Thanet District Council, in Dec 2007 allowed a security fence similar to that at the Securitas Depot, Tonbridge to be erected on the wrong side of screening hedgerows and off the original fence line and a landscaping catastrophe has resulted.
The photograph above shows a new security fence placed the wrong side of a hedge planted by Trees for Thanet in 1998 !
The photograph above shows how our hedge looked like in October 2007; doing a wonderful job of screening the allotment fence!
The Isle of Thanet Gazette reported on the project in 1998.

The photograph above shows why a hedgerow was needed to screen this walnut pailing fence which was the boundary of Culmers land allotments. Compare this situation to the one now created by TDC and Broadstairs TC!

What is the point of Trees for Thanet trying to improve the aesthetic and visual environment of parts of Thanet when 'vandalism' of the nature shown above can be perpetrated by, of all people, our local Councils!

MERIDIAN TV VISIT THE INFRATIL/OASIS HONGKONG HEDGEROW PLANTING ON SHOTTENDANE ROAD ON SUN 20 JAN 2008

2008-01-25T18:41:00.000Z

Meridian TV came out on Sun 20 Jan to film Trees for Thanet volunteers planting the co-sponsored Infratil (KIA Manston) and Oasis Hong Kong Airlines hedge on The Shottendane Road. They were interested in why the young volunteers do it and how we felt about some criticism locally that we had accepted sponsorship from an airport and airline. In the picture above the camera records some of the 375 holes dug that morning.
This project now has 950 hedgerow trees planted and it is just a case of prune plants, dig holes and carefully hand-plant as the picture above shows. Mulch sheet will be laid once plants have been 'rained-in' to wash soil around roots and fill air-spaces. The ground was particularly heavy and rain saturated despite Thanet having less rain than other parts of the country during the week.

Paul Wells making the point to Meridian TV that Trees for Thanet is perfectly happy to accept our sponsors' money and support and is delighted that they are supporting young people in improving the Thanet countryside.

THE PHILLIPS SHELTER BELT IS FINISHED

2007-12-20T10:01:00.000Z

( Project 15 on Projects Map)

After 4 Saturday mornings' work, we finished the Phillips Shelter Belt on Acol Hill on Saturday 15th December. We were delighted to welcome the founders of The Phillips Fund (our sponsors for this project), Bill and Dorothy Phillips who kindly planted the last tree (an Alder) for us. We were also pleased to welcome Anthony Curwen (Quex Park Estates), Sheila Bransfield (Chair of Acol Parish Council) and Bernie O'Grady (associate Head of Ursuline College). The little 'ceremony' brought together all the components that have made Trees for Thanet work so successfully over the years; sponsorship funding, farmers and landowners, the local community and hard working and enthusiastic young people.
This is the view of the Phillips Shelter Belt on Acol Hill as you head towards Birchington from Acol. 260 trees were planted and protected with mulch sheet and tubex tree shelters. A gap for farm machinery access was left towards the top of the hill. A mixture of the following 10 native British species was planted: Lime, Silver Birch, Ash, Alder, Field Maple, Hazel, Willow, Wild Cherry, Hawthorn and Wayfaring Tree. A single maritime Pine was planted after being donated by a passing villager!
This is the view from the top of the Shelter Belt looking south towards Acol Village and the belt of Leylandii screening Acol Caravan Park. Due to rain preventing the preparation of the 6m planting belt, the trees were planted into an earlier seeded winter wheat crop. This will have to be 'treated' and grass seed will be sown in the spring. The Shelter Belt will need maintenance for some time to come to develop a valuable wild-life habitat and aesthetically pleasing strip of woodland.

WORK PROCEEDS ON ACOL HILL

2007-12-04T19:07:00.001Z

Saturday 1st December, found Trees for Thanet back on Acol Hill to plant the middle row of the Phillips Shelter Belt, less Silver Birch which were not available from the nursery. A mixture of Limes, Alder and Ash were planted. The photograph above shows the heavy duty mulch sheet being placed and dug in. The sheeting prevents competition for water from grasses and weeds as well as warming the soil in spring and retaining moisture in hot dry weather.

Each tree will be protected with a tubex shelter that allows light to penetrate and photosynthesis to occur in a warm still environment for lower leaves. The tubex shelter is held in place by banging in a securing stake. (see photo above)

60 trees were mulch sheeted and protected by the time work finished and the picture below shows the 'march' up Acol Hill has begun.

MANSTON AIRPORT (INFRATIL) AND OASIS HONG KONG AIRLINE SPONSOR TREES FOR THANET

2007-12-03T21:07:00.000Z

We were delighted that Infratil, the owners of Kent International Airport, Manston and Oasis Hong Kong Airlines agreed to sponsor a new hedgerow to be planted on the south side of Shottendane Road from the junction of Park Road to the junction of Minster Road.
The 530m hedgerow will be a double hawthorn hedge with wild cherry trees planted every 20m and will 'connect' to the end of our 'Millenium Hedgerow' in Park Road. (see Projects Map).

Work will begin this month and it is hoped that the project will be completed by the end of January/early February 2008. Hawthorns will be cut back to 6-8" and covered with black plastic mulch sheet to prevent weed growth, water competition and to retain moisture.

Members of Trees for Thanet had an enjoyable visit to Manston on Tuesday 27 November for the presentation of a generous cheque for £3,000 from our sponsors. John Armitage, Business Development Support Manager for the airport met the group and looked after all security aspects and very kindly arranged a trip in a fire tender for those whose ID was not adequate.

The cheque presentation was made by Matt Clarke, Chief Executive of Kent International Airport, and Gerard Clarke,

General Manager for Oasis Hong Kong Airlines .Members were then given a guided tour of Oasis Hong Kong's 747-400 series aircraft by the Captain and crew who had landed specifically for the presentation. The Isle of Thanet Gazette were there to record the event!

WORK STARTS ON ACOL HILL SHELTER BELT

2007-11-28T14:11:00.000Z

We began work on the Acol Hill Shelter Belt on Saturday 24th November 2007 ; eleven volunteers turned up.
The shelter belt has had to be planted into the wheat crop but this will be treated in the spring and grass sown instead!

Hole digging was easy but the measuring and random sorting of species was a little complicated with the front and back rows being planted only at this stage. Smaller tree species were planted in these two rows and the middle row will be planted with larger species.

The mix planted was : 25 x Field Maple; 25 x Wilow; 25 x Hazel; 25 x Hawthorn; 25 x Wayfaring Tree and 47 x wild(bird) cherry.

The plants now await rain to wash soil into any air-pockets surrounding the roots and will then be mulch-sheeted and protected with tubex tree-shelters supported by a stake.

THE 2007/2008 SEASON STARTS

2007-11-22T21:59:00.000Z

We had hoped to start planting on the Acol Hill Shelter Belt Project but plants were not yet ready at our nursery. Instead, on Saturday morning of 10th November, the last of the plastic spiral guards and canes were removed from the 2006 planting on the Manston Road. They had supported young plants for two summers and their job was done! You can see piles of removed spirals in the back-ground and 1000 canes and spirals were dumped at Manston Amenity Tip later that morning!

PROPOSED PHILLIPS SHELTER BELT - ACOL HILL

2007-09-28T16:56:00.000+01:00

The Phillips Fund has kindly agreed to sponsor the planting of a Shelter Belt of trees on the east side of Acol Hill.

Trees for Thanet, with the permission of Quex Park, will plant the Shelter Belt in November 2007.

The 270m long belt will be called The Phillips Shelter Belt and will run for 270m on the east side of Acol Hill and will 'join' the 'Pine Avenue' that was planted 100 years ago to provide an approach to South Lodge in Quex Park with the hedge around Acol Caravan Park.

260 native British trees and shrubs will be planted in 3 rows in a strip 6m wide with a staggered gap to provide farm machinery access. Each plant will be protected in tubex tree shelters with mulch sheet to retain moisture and reduce weed competition.

Quex Park has kindly agreed to drill grass seed into this strip and it will be kept to grass until the Shelter Belt establishes fully. The following species will be planted: Lime, Ash, Silver Birch, Alder, Wayfaring Tree, Hawthorn, Hazel, Field Maple Rowan and Wild Cherry.

The first photograph shows the view north up Acol Hill towards the 'Pine Avenue' and the second shows the view south down-hill, to Acol Caravan Park.

WEEDING THE HSBC HEDGE

2007-08-02T20:49:00.001+01:00

The HSBC hedge was strimmed and weeded in early May (see post below) during a drought period in the driest Spring for many years and only took a few hours work. After 322mm of rain in Birchington since 24th May the picture below shows how vigorous 'weed' growth soon chokes a young hedge. Oxtongues, in particular, have been the nastiest to deal with as they not only took over the verge but also the strip between the hedge and wheat crop and are in the frame for a few bad 'strimmer's rashes'. The hedge has clearly benefitted from so much rain but has not responded with as much growth as newly planted sections or older established hedges. That said, as the picture below shows, the HSBC Hedge is in excellent condition 18 months from planting. The only exceptions are where vehicles leaving the Manston Road on the bend in the photograph are taking their toll of young plants. Not only has this road got much busier due to traffic going to and from Westwood Cross but the 1 mile 'straight' seems to be a challenge to some motorists to do a 'ton'. As the photograph shows, the bend is poorly signed and at night is 'invisible'; KCC has been urged to improve signing and put reflectors on the bend!

TRY ANGLE AWARDS - 2007

2007-06-24T08:29:00.001+01:00

The Try Angle Awards recognise the achievements of young people in our community and it was great news that Trees for Thanet Group was nominated again this year. Seven members were able to attend the Awards at the Winter Gardens on Thursday 21 June to find that Trees for Thanet had won the 'Citizenship and the Environment' category for Thanet.

It is the fifth time in the past 10 years that Trees for Thanet, as a Group, or as individual members, have had the work of its young volunteers recognised in such a way at The Try Angle Awards. It is great that the hard-work and dedication of the young members of the Group is recognised in this public way; their work of course, sits in the ground growing for all to see and will do so for many years to come.

CARS, FLY TIPPING AND LITTER

2007-06-19T21:39:00.001+01:00

The picture above shows yet another speeding driver paying the penalty on the bend on The Manston Road over the Saturday/ Sunday period of 16th/17th June. No damage was done to the HSBC Hedgerow and verge marks indicate the vehicle flipped over into its position in the wheat. This makes 6 vehicles known about since the hedge was planted in 2006. It will be interesting to see the damage done to the crop and The HSBC Hedgerow when the vehicle is recovered. Claims against the drivers insurers will probably have to be made.

Fly tipping continues unabated at the start of the Bridleway on Park Road and we have a washing machine and a pile of wood from a gardening weekend left by anti-social members of the public who cannot be bothered to go to the Recreational Tip less than a mile away. The QEQM Hedge is slowly catching up with The Millenium Hedge on the far side of the lane.

The picture below shows the dangers of litter. Members have found dead voles and shrews in plastic bottles, crisp packets and now in a vehicle light cover. Smooth shiny surfaces mean that once these small mammals are inside they are unable to get purchase with tiny feet to get out again. Death comes quickly through starvation for shrews but short-tailed voles have a lingering death unless rain fills containers and drowns them. This discarded litter claimed a shrew and a vole.

GREEN PLACES (Issue 36 / June 07)

2007-06-18T19:16:00.000+01:00

Trees for Thanet gets coverage in The Landscape Design Trust Journal 'GREEN PLACES'. A former member of Trees for Thanet, Benedict Vanheems, joined our 10th Planting Season celebrations in April and very kindly submitted the article above.

WEED CONTROL IS IMPORTANT

2007-06-11T20:05:00.000+01:00

The picture below shows the problem very clearly; 'Spot the Hedge?'
In amongst this lush early June growth is a double-row hawthorn hedge planted in early March 2006 on The Manston Road. The hedge was planted with spiral guards and supporting canes. The thick grasses and weeds not only compete for water but also prevent light getting into the smaller hawthorns. Another problem is the thick growth provides an ideal habitat for snails which seem to think that a new hawthorn leaf is the best item on their menu! The kit needed is quite simple: petrol strimmer and face and ear guard; old roll mat for aching knees; wellies and socks; gardening gloves; flask of hot coffee and big rubbish bag.

Both sides of the hedge are strimmed out to 2ft and on the road side, this entails strimming the whole verge for cosmetic reasons. Then its simply a case of get down on knees and pull everything out around and between the plants and lay detritus back between the rows to act as a natural mulch.

This section is now clear. Light can get into the plants; water competition is reduced and mulch helps retain moisture. Snails don't find it such an attractive habitat! Experience has shown that if the hedge is left overgrown, casualty rates of young plants rises dramatically.

The outcome is excellent but the job itself seems un-ending and is akin to painting The Forth Road Bridge!; no sooner do you get to the end ................. .

SUMMER MAINTENANCE

2007-06-03T21:26:00.000+01:00

The start of June saw the final plastic spirals and canes removed from the 2004/2005 Season's planting on the Manston Road and in Quex Park. This meant a total of 2,600 spirals and 2,600 canes were removed altogether after 2 years of supporting young plants. The picture above shows piles of spiral guards awaiting collection and removal. Due to the sun's UV radiation breaking down the plastic , the spirals become brittle and cannot be re-used.

Summer weeding is almost complete in Quex Park and the process is to carefully strim down either side of the young hedge and then hand-weed in between the plants with all debris then placed between plants and between the front and back rows as a 'mulch'. The 'mulch' helps suppress further weed growth and retain moisture and as a result competition for moisture is reduced. This , together with allowing light into the lower part of the hedge, improves growth and thickening of the hedge.

Weeding will move shortly to the Manston Road planting of 2004/5 and the 2006 planting , where spirals will stay in place until next Spring. Good rainfall on both May Bank Holiday weekends has meant that growth is not water stressed at the moment!

HSBC HEDGE - MAY 2007 (One Year On)

2007-05-09T20:20:00.000+01:00

(Project 13 on Trees for Thanet Projects Map)

The HSBC Hedge was finished in February 2006 and heavy duty mulch sheet was placed over a double row of 'twigs' (60cm whips with good root systems cut off 15cm above soil line)

Looking north along the Manston Road from the corner of Sparrow Castle pumping station.

The hedge 'sign' at the south end by Sparrow castle pumping station.

The view south towards Sparrow Castle pumping station from the sharp bend.

The HSBC sign on the sharp bend.

There should be a cherry to the left of the telegraph pole but it was run over by one of the five cars that have left the road due to excessive speed on the straights leading to this bend since the hedge was planted. There are thin sections of hedge on both sides of the bend where car damage either in coming off the road or being towed back on to it has ocurred. No one bothers to report the damage so that insurance claims can be made!

The start of the hedge by Sparrow Castle Farm looking south to the sharp bend on the Manston Road.

There are two cherries missing between the one in the picture and the telegraph pole on the bend. Cars have caused more tree and hawthorn damage than the very dry weather in 2006 and the very dry spring so far in 2007.

The mulch sheet and change in planting method has paid off handsomely. A vigorous young hedge is now growing (except where cars keep driving through it!) and a few hours strimming is all that is needed to keep vegetation down along the sides of the hedge.

"NE'ER CAST A CLOUT 'TILL MAYS OUT"

2007-05-08T21:25:00.000+01:00

(See Site 1 on Trees for Thanet Projects Map)

The hawthorn is also known as The May Tree or 'The May'. The expression (from oop North) about "'ne'er cast a clout 'till mays out" does not refer to keeping a sweater on untill the end of the month of May but untill the May tree or hawthorn comes 'out' in flower!
The hawthorn or 'May' on the 'hump' opposite Sparrow Castle Pumping Station have never been in such fine blossom, as in the first week of May, 2007! The heavy winter rain and warm spring without rain since 31 March 2007 might be the cause. (click on pictures for more detail)

The 'wild' end of the site with the footpath used by workers walking to Cummins factory from Westgate just discernible to the right of the picture. This end is no longer strimmed and has become a site for Lark's nests and a fox! It is great to see a footpath used for its original purpose i.e. to enable people to walk to work, town or church from their homes.

The view back towards the pumping station after 11 years of care! The foot-path track on the left links to the bridle-way from the Pumping Station to Park Road with a further footpath across the field to Shottendane Road, by the junction with Minster Road, which runs down to Westgate and the Canterbury Road.

SPARROW CASTLE FARM - DECEMBER 2006

2007-05-08T19:52:00.000+01:00

Sparrow Castle Farm sits at the corner of The Shottendane Road and Manston Road in Birchington and has become the rendevous for Trees for Thanet with the 'yard' providing easy parking space.

In November 2006, Trees for Thanet was approached by Ursuline College Science Department for help. A 'schools pack' of 30 very small trees (15cm plants in a small compost plug) had been sent to them by The Tree Council and a place to plant them was needed. At Sparrow Castle Farm, Quex Park Estates had already planted 5 limes and it was felt that a thicker copse of trees would set the yard off quite nicely.

On Wednesday 13th December 2006, a teacher and 2 BTEC students arrived after lunch to be instructed in planting and by the end of the afternoon, 30 small trees( 10 Silver Birch, 10 Hazel and 10 Rowan) had been planted. Trees for Thanet then finished off by putting out tubex tree shelters and mulch sheet around each young tree.
The photograph shows the planting site looking east along Shottendane Road towards Two Chimneys Caravan Site in the first week of May 2007. Trees for Thanet had strimmed the area earlier to prevent high growing grass and nettles from shading the small trees despite the mulch sheet squares! It will be interesting to see how such small plants progress and when they will grow out of their tubex shelters!

MANSTON ROAD (Phase 3) REPLANTING (Nov 2006 - Feb 2007)

2007-05-07T18:05:00.000+01:00

(Project 14 on Trees for Thanet Projects Map)

Phase 3 of the Manston Road replant to re-establish a hedgerow that had failed after being notch planted in 2003 by a contractor was to cause Trees for Thanet some problems. There were large areas of Alexanders infestation right on the planting lines; the mild winter and early spring caused early leafing of hawthorns and rapid weed growth and the clearing of very old gaps on Woodchurch Road proved difficult.

Planting began on Saturday 18th November 2006 and was completed by Saturday 24 February 2007. By the end of March all mulch sheeting was on and Trees for Thanet members were ready to celebrate the end of the 10th 'Planting Season'. 1500 hawthorn were planted along the Manston Road down to Woodchurch Road with 19 dessert cherry trees planted at the same time. The method used was to cut well rooted 60cm whips about 12 cm above the soil line and plant them with a 'twig' poking above the soil. This 'twig' would then bud and leaf from the stem. A more flexible lightweight mulch sheet was then placed over the double rows and the edges spaded in. Clods of soil were then placed on the sheeting to combat wind lift until the edges were compacted.

A further 800 plants were planted in the same way in the old hedgerow gaps in Woodchurch Road and a new short hedge planted on the south side of the road upto the houses 100m from the junction. Two cherries were planted behind the larger gaps and one cherry planted beside the house.

A gap in the ancient hedge in Woodchurch Road close to Manston Road reaching the end of the clearing stage.
The 'digging team' hard at work on the cleared and strimmed planting line.

The second row of holes being dug behind the planted front row of 'twigs' by the passing bay in Woodchurch Road close to the Manston Road junction.

The front row of 'twigs' going in on the Manston Road.

The first of 22 dessert cherry trees being dropped off for planting behind the hedgerow.

The view northwards along the Manston Road towards Sparrow Castle pumping station from the Woodchurch Road junction. The canes were placed to let horse-riders know planted 'twigs' were in the ground and the hedge has been curved away from the verge to give traffic turning out of Woodchurch Road a clear view. Even with a clear view, speeding and careless drivers manage to go off the road and a collision on the junction cleared all the hedge on the lefthand side of this picture a few weeks earlier!

A lighter weight plastic mulch sheet enabled the sheet to be placed over each 'twig' and then with downwards pressure, the sharp end of each twig perforated the sheet. Not only was this speedier but the sheet was tighter to each stem. You will see a team ahead of the 'mulch sheeters'; because of the mild weather grass and Alexanders had grown back on the planting line and hand-weeding was carried out before placing the mulch sheet down in February!

The start of the new season's planting and the end of the previous year's. In February the 'twigs' planted in November had already started to leaf as the photograph shows and a little damage was caused to sprouting leaves by forcing the mulch sheet over. The edges of the mulch sheet have been spaded in using semi-circular edging knives; far more effective than square edged spades!

The black mulch sheet progresses south towards Woodchurch Road.

At the last gap planted (as Woodchurch Road approaches Reclamet) a thief lifted 16 'twigs' by cutting the mulch sheet and pulling the plants out. It is estimated that a thief has now stolen 60 plants over the past 6 years! This is very tedious as Trees for Thanet would rather come and plant his or her hedge in one go!

Trees for Thanet were delighted to finish Phase 3 of the Manston Road re-plant! It is believed that the longest stretch of hedgerows in Thanet now runs from Shottendane Road along the Manston Road to Woodchurch Road (HSBC and 3 Phases of re-planting). Almost 6000 plants have been planted into the hedgerows (5,925) and a total of 46 dessert cherries have been planted behind. It is hoped that this will create a riot of blossom for years to come!

MANSTON ROAD (Phase 2) REPLANTING - March 2006

2007-05-06T19:25:00.000+01:00

(See Project 12 on Trees for Thanet Projects Map)

After finishing laying mulch sheet on the new HSBC hedgerow, Trees for Thanet returned to the Manston Road the following week, on Saturday 25th February 2006. The task was to put a 1000 replacements in the ground before the planting season ended, starting where the previous year's 1025 replacements had ended. The finish of The Manston Road replanting would have to wait until March 2007.
The picture above shows 250, 60cm whips, in the process of being prepared for planting by wrapping plastic spiral guards around the whip and its supporting cane. This particular morning , Saturday 4th March 2006 was the sunniest and warmest of the season.

Trees for Thanet made a mistake in reverting to spiral guards but in a sense, the plastic mulch and cutting down 60cm whips to 15cm 'twigs' in the HSBC hedge was an experiment and it was not yet a proven technique. No one could have foreseen that precious little rain would fall until late May 2006 and that March would be dry!

The digging team in full swing. You can see the occasional plant still surviving from the original planting by a contractor in 2003 and wrapped in its perforated black plastic guard. Trees for Thanet became the object of curiosity of many passing drivers and passengers who had begun to use Manston Road as a route round to Westwood Cross and it was soon realised that they thought they were looking at ASBO kids doing their Community Service punishment!

Planters following up with the front row going in.

The digging team being caught up by planters as the plants laid by holes indicate. The 1000th plant went in 20m on the far side of the gate in the background on Saturday 18th March 2006. The view is south down the Manston Road towards Manston in the distance and the target to reach Woodchurch Road had to wait until 2007!

The drought of 2006 affected this phase of replanting badly. Plants did not have heavy rain to wash soil down to air pockets around roots and was actually light in moisture content whilst planting was in progress. Drainage on Thanet's upland chalk plateau is excellent but dry conditions soon led to water stress. Despite hand weeding, this section of planting suffered badly and so far has the worst casualty rate of any hedge planted by Trees for Thanet with a 5% loss so far. The torrential rain in 24 hrs in late May 2006 put an inch of rain on Birchington and saved this section from a worse casualty rate. Readers should note that commercial planters regard casualty rates of 15% as normal and acceptable!

Lessons learned in 2006 were:

a. On Thanet, with Global Warming creating even drier and warmer springs, mulch sheeting and 'twigs' with generous root growth are essential to get good establishment and to reduce casualty rates.

b. Planting beyond February is no longer an option as leafing has started and enough rain to 'settle-in' plants is un-likely.

THE HSBC HEDGEROW IN MANSTON ROAD 2005-2006

2007-05-04T17:51:00.000+01:00

(See Project 13 on Trees for Thanet Projects Map)

Trees for Thanet had embarked on re-planting along the Manston Road from Sparrow Castle pumping station towards the Woodchurch Road junction on the outskirts of Manston in the winter season of 2004/2005, when it heard that HSBC Branches in Thanet and their staff were looking for a Community Project to support financially and practically. HSBC was approached with the idea of sponsoring a new hedgerow on the Manston Road between Shottendane Road down to Sparrow Castle pumping station. HSBC in Thanet agreed to the project, as did Quex Park. This photograph shows the Manston Road in October 2005, from Sparrow Castle pumping station, north, to the house and farm buildings by the Shottendane Road junction. A hedge on the right-hand side of the road would then provide the longest, almost continuous, hedge in Thanet, running from Shottendane Road all the way to Woodchurch Road. The plan was to plant 2400 plants into a hedgerow and plant 20 dessert cherries behind it and to involve HSBC staff who would work alongside Tree for Thanet young volunteers.

This picture shows the whole length of the site to be planted before it was strimmed and prepared for planting. If you look carefully you will notice the sharp bend towards the Shottendane Road. This bend has an adverse camber and is probably the most frequently 'driven off' spot in Birchington. Because of Westwood, traffic levels on Manston Road have climbed dramatically and this posed a potential safety hazard to planters working close to the verge. Prior to starting work a team had to place 'road work' signs and fence off the area to be planted to prevent members inadvertently stepping into the road. Fortunately, no incidents ocurred while we were planting but since the hedge has been planted speeding cars and motorbikes have hit the hedge and cherry trees SEVEN times on their way off the road and into the field. It is clearly going to be a regular ocurrence as many motorists and bikers regard the 1500m straights either side of this bend as an opportunity to do a 'ton' with dire consequences at the bend for most doing 50+!

The site strimmed and ready for planting with a winter barley crop already growing. This project was to see further innovation in planting methods used by Trees for Thanet. For a number of years it had become apparent that dry springs and hot summers retarded growth of newly planted hedgerows. Hand weeding had helped reduce water competition but kilometres of recently planted young hedgerows could not all be hand weeded! To avoid the difficulties and ensure greater survival it was decided to use the same sized 60cm whips but to cut them off, at 45 degrees , leaving a 6cm stem only to be above the soil line. Planting was done as normal into individual holes and hopefully, after being rained in, black mulch sheet was then placed over the double rows. Placing mulch sheet proved harder than expected as a heavy duty sheet was used and each plant had to have a hole cut rather than just poking the stem through the sheet! The mulch sheet prevents weeds physically smothering the young hedge, reduces water competition from grass and weeds and helps retain moisture. It also provides luxury housing for short-tailed voles!

This Isle of Thanet Gazette item was printed on 9th December 2005 and shows the screening fencing between the planters and the road and a double row of 'twigs' disappearing into the distance. Under each twig was the large rooting system for a 60cm whip and this was to prove critical in the drought of 2006! Work began on Saturday 19th November and by 14th January 2006 all planting had been completed. A new planting record was established on Saturday 10th December 2005 with 600 plants planted into 600 holes by 19 volunteers from HSBC and Trees for Thanet in a morning! On Saturday 21 January, work began to put down 600m of mulch sheeting and was eventually completed on Saturday 18th February 2006.

The Trees for Thanet Diary shows the 'season' was the worst for weather affecting work; Sat 3rd Dec 2005-Cancelled due to heavy rain; Sat 28th Jan 2006- heavy frost and frozen ground (Spirals & canes removed from Bridleway Hedge as alternative to mulch sheeting.); Sat 11th Feb 2006- Cancelled heavy frost. Saturdays of 10th and 17th December also had light frosts but planting was able to proceed after 0900hrs!

To mark the end of the HSBC project, HSBC's South East Regional Executive, Ian Legg returned on Saturday 4th March to attend the planting of the 20th and final cherry and host a celebratory reception at The Powell Cotton Museum for HSBC staff and Trees for Thanet. Mr Legg, Mrs Legg and son Mark had put in a morning's mulching on Saturday 21st January with the project. The photograph above shows clearly the double- row with mulching sheet stretching 600m towards Shottendane Road from Sparrow Castle pumping station.

Alex MacNally, senior reporter at The Isle of Thanet Gazette was invited along to join us celebrate the end of the project and The Gazette report showed the two HSBC Branch managers in Thanet, Sandra Neale and Andrew Long helping to plant the final cherry. Two signs have been placed along the hedgerow to tell passers-by what it is and how it happened.

This picture, taken 12 months later in 2007, shows how effective the new method of planting was. (Compare this to the 'strimmed' verge picture and the 'final cherry' picture) It is the same spot after a drought summer of 2006 and total casualties due to weather were a miniscule 16 out of 2,475(0.6%). More casualties have been caused by stupid drivers leaving the road and 3 out of 20 cherries will need replacing as a result of car strike!

QUEX PARK and MANSTON ROAD (Phase 1) RE-PLANTING 2004-2005

2007-05-03T20:01:00.000+01:00

(Projects 11 & 12 on Trees for Thanet Projects Map)

BACKGROUND
In the 2002/2003 Planting Season (Nov - Mar) Quex Park began its contract hedgerow planting for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in Quex Park and along the Manston Road. A contractor used notch planting of small 1 year old plants into grass sward and no maintenance was carried out. Dry springs, hot summers and weed competition quickly resulted in a 70% failure rate. Trees for Thanet had planted, at the same time, The Two Chimneys Hedge and The Jubilee Hedge ( Projects 8A & 8). 60cm whips with good root systems , using canes and spiral guards for support, were planted into separate holes and most importantly hand-weeding prevented weed choke and improved moisture retention. The result was good growth and less than a 2% casualty rate.

QUEX PARK

Trees for Thanet was asked by Quex if it would re-plant all the failed hedgerows and work began in November 2004 in Quex Park. The failures, planted in black mesh guards for support had to be removed and the ground strimmed to soil level before planting each week. By Saturday 5th February 2005, the planting in Quex Park was completed and 1575 plants dug in. The busiest weekend saw The Outdoor Pursuits Club from Ursuline College come out to help plant and the 11 & 12 year olds manged to plant 275 on Sunday 23rd January, making the total planted for the week-end, 600 plants. The Project was suspended on Saturday 4th December as Trees for Thanet diverted for the morning to plant The Ivan Plewis memorials.This project was weeded in the summer of 2005 and spiral guards and canes were removed in April 2007.

Part of the hedgerow in Quex Park in May 2007 with spiral guards removed and hand weeding started.

THE MANSTON ROAD
This project started on Saturday 12th February 2005 at The Sparrow Castle Pumping Station and eventually had to go south to the junction with Woodchurch Road. It was decided that planting should stop on 19th March 2005 as experience was showing that the late plantings were not establishing so well due to early onset of Springs and very dry weather conditions in March and April each year. By the 19th a total of 1025 had been planted.

Fine sunshine but planting on Saturday 5th March had to be cancelled because snow was still on the ground! This picture shows canes and plants being wrapped with 'half' spirals before planting. The 6m Countryside Stewardship headland has been established and the permissive bridle-way was in use. The view is south down The Manston Road towards Manston.

Planting in full swing. The verge and planting area has been strimmed in preparation and the few surviving plants from 2003 can be seen in their black plastic mesh guards. The view is north along the Manston Road with Sparrow Castle Pumping Station in the background. The headland can be seen clearly contrasting with the crop sown to its right.

The start of the 'new' Manston Road Hedgerow in March 2005 .

To complement the hedgerow, it was decided to plant 8 dessert cherry trees behind it. Jane Wenham-Jones, author and Isle of Thanet Gazette columnist 'Plain Jane', was invited to join us on Saturday 26th March to see the various projects and to do the 'honours' with the silver spade and plant the last tree of the season. The Isle of Thanet Gazette recorded the moment.

Jane then wrote about her morning with Trees for Thanet in her column 'Plain Jane'.

The 'season' saw a total of 2,600 Hawthorn, 60 Limes, 3 Laburnums and 8 Dessert Cherries planted on the 3 Projects (Quex Park, Manston Road & Ivan Plewis Memorial)

THE IVAN PLEWIS MEMORIALS - DECEMBER 2004

2007-04-30T21:15:00.000+01:00

(See Projects 10 & 10A on Trees for Thanet Projects Map)

In the spring of 2004, Trees for Thanet was asked if it could plant a 'memorial' in memory of Ivan Plewis, a farmer and keen gardener who died at the age of 75 in 2003. His daughter and widow had promised him that rather than flowers at his funeral. mourners would contribute to a growing memorial.

Trees for Thanet suggested that an 'avenue of limes' be planted in Woodchurch Road as it approached the trees around Woodchurch Farm and the recently planted Jubilee Hedge. Quex Park kindly agreed to this proposal and on Saturday 4th December 2004, Trees for Thanet was joined by Ivan's widow, Isobel and daughter Sarah Plewis-Martin to plant the 'avenue'.

30 broad leaved limes were planted at 5m intervals on the south side of the lane and a further 30 on the north side. the picture above shows the halfway stage. Each 60cm 'whip' was planted with tubex tree shelter and stake and a 1m square mulch sheet placed around it for weed suppression and moisture retention. The view above is towards Garlinge.

The north side of the lane being finished off with barley straw placed over the mulch sheet to retain warmth and promote root growth. the view is towards Woodchurch Farm.

The 'Ivan Plewis Memorial Limes' in April 2007 looking towards Garlinge. Despite two hot dry summers and drought conditions in 2006, there have been no casualties so far despite a tractor knocking out a tubex shelter and stake at the Jubilee Hedge end and a speeding driver running over a tree as his vehicle left the road on the sharp bend by the 3rd telegraph pole in the distance in the picture above!

Strimming of the verge and around the trees is creating a grass sward and by not ploughing up to the trees a small headland has been created. Alexanders, have however, invaded the near end and will need to be eradicated. If all goes well , in 30 years time it is hoped that the canopies of the limes will meet above the lane to provide a' living green cathedral' in the view shown above!

Ivan Plewis' favourite tree was the Laburnum and it was decided that in addition to the 'memorial avenue of limes' it would be nice to have a stand of 3 Laburnums planted beside the Shottendane Road/ Manston Road/ Margate Hill junction in his memory. These will, it is hoped, provide a riot of yellow blossom in May each year for passing motorists to enjoy. The picture above shows Isobel Plewis and daughter Sarah Plewis-Martin joining members of Trees for Thanet in planting one of the laburnums on the Acol side of the junction. The Isle of Thanet Gazette recorded the final planting.

HANDOVER OF 'ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT 2000' TO QUEX PARK (November 2004)

2007-04-30T17:24:00.000+01:00

(See Project 6 on Trees for Thanet Projects Map)

The bend in Woodchurch Road with the planting of Phase 2 of 'Environmental Project 2000' in full swing in January 2000.

After 5 summers of weeding, tubex removal and trimming and shaping this hedge was ready to hand over to Quex Park Estates to look after. In November 2004, Trees for Thanet formally handed the care of this hedge over to Farm Manager Alistair Walmesley-Cotham and The Isle of Thanet Gazette recorded the moment!

This is the same section of hedge in April 2007 . The hedge was cut (flailed) in January 2007 to give an A shape top which is a typical trimming pattern for wildlife hedgerows as opposed to stock proof hedges.

SPARROW CASTLE BRIDLEWAY (2003-2004)

2007-04-30T16:04:00.000+01:00

(See Project 9 on Trees for Thanet Project Map)

This project was to establish a hedge on the north side of the public bridleway running between Sparrow Castle Pumping Station on The Manston Road and Park Road. The hedge was planned to end at the southern boundary of Two Chimneys Caravan Park.

Planting began on Saturday 29th November 2003 and the last of 2000 plants was planted on Saturday 6th March. Plastic spiral guards and canes were used and this hedge has not been the happiest of Trees for Thanet's projects. Due to priorities elsewhere for weeding and maintenance the hedge was not hand weeded in the spring/ early summer of 2004 and was only weeded and strimmed in 2005. It has been quite clear that weed competition in dry summers restricts water to the hawthorns and they have grown more slowly as a result. The picture below shows the start of the hedgerow at Sparrow Castle in April 2007 after 3 summers' growth.
Shortly after planting, a gap had to be re-located to allow farm machinery access at the Sparrow castle end. A thief came along and thinned out 12 hawthorns in February 2004 and Crime Number GZ364-04 was given to the theft by Kent Police! During the summer of 2004, children 'playing' on the Bridleway whilst holidaying at Two Chimneys, thought it a good idea to rip out canes, plants and trees. To add insult to injury, farm machinery then rumbled over the hedge at Two Chimneys end where a gap had been deliberately filled by plants removed specifically to create a gap at the other end of the hedge! In November 2005 further damage was caused by ploughing too close to the hedge and back-row plants suffered. Spiral guards and canes were removed in February 2006.
Whilst this hedge has had its moments, it is turning out to be the best site for wild-life with an explosion in the short-tailed population along its length in the summers.

THE MILLENIUM HEDGEROW 1998 - 2007

2007-04-27T18:33:00.000+01:00

(See Project 3 on Projects map) The view south along Park Road in July 1996. Wheat is growing upto the verge on the left and barley right up to the verge on the right. In the distance are the trees around Woodchurch Farm and the grain storage barn has not been built yet.

The same view south along Park Road towards Woodchurch in April 2007. The Millenium Hedgerow starts on the left with a small leaved lime that has been hit twice by farm machinery, still growing! On the right is Two Chimneys Hedge (Project 8A) hiding the screening bund.

The Millenium Hedge (on the left) in late summer of 2002 at the point where a footpath goes left to The Shottendane Road and a Bridleway runs right to Sparrow Castle. The single row was planted in 1997.

The same view in Park Road in April 2007 with KCC signs fixed to the pole but a passing tractor has given the pole a new slant! If you look closely you will see a bluebell just below the hedge; it was not there in 2006!

In Park Road in late summer 2001 with this gap-filling section of The Millenium now 4 years old. Note the stubble from an arable crop right up to the road verge where The QEQM Hedgerow(Project 7) was to be planted in 2002.

The same section of The Millenium Hedgerow in April 2007 with the single row QEQM Hedge on the right with a 6m headland and permissive bridleway behind it.

THE JUBILEE HEDGE 2003 - 2007

2007-04-26T21:37:00.000+01:00

(Project 8 on Projects Map)

The start of the Jubilee Hedge (on the left) in Woodchurch Road as you approach Woodchurch Farm from Garlinge. The wild cherry and hawthorns in blossom in April 2007

Roger Gale MP and Sister Alice Montgomery OSU plant the final wild cherry to mark the end of planting the Jubilee Hedge in Woodchurch Road on 8th March 2003.

The same view up the slope in Woodchurch Road in April 2007. The wild cherry being shown planted by Roger Gale (see above) was stolen by a thief who came out one night and dug it up! The more mature hedge on the opposite side of Woodchurch Road was the second part of 'Environmental Project 2000' and was planted in 2000.

Students from Ellington Girls School joined Trees for Thanet to plant 250 hawthorns in January 2003. The picture below shows the same section in blossom in April 2007.

SPARROW CASTLE 1996 - 2007

2007-04-25T21:04:00.000+01:00

(Project 1 on Projects Map)

This was Sparrow Castle site on the Manston Road in 2001. Growth was very slow due to the nature of the 'hump' (old railway aggregate and chalk) and its exposure. Two Spruce trees were stolen but two Maritime Pines were donated as replacements

This is Sparrow Castle in April 2007. Shrubs and trees have got roots down into moisture and the Ash and Mountain Ash have started to shape up. As this picture shows, shaping pruning will soon be needed. 'Alexanders' have invaded the front of the site close to the road and will need to be exterminated!

SHOTTENDANE COPSE 1997 TO 2007

2007-04-25T18:01:00.000+01:00

(See Project 2 on the Projects Map)

Shottendane Copse on the corner of Park Road and Shottendane Road in April 1997. A rubbish tip with 'Alexanders' covering the whole copse floor and suppressing, by its winter growth, all other ground flora and preventing any tree regeneration.

Shottendane Copse in late April 2007.

Fenced, kept clear of rubbish and planted to add to natural regeneration of trees.The contrast could not be greater. A much richer ground flora, natural regeneration of trees underway and planting as necessary. Bluebells framed by young spring leaves of a naturally seeded oak!

The 'Alexanders' were stifling all other ground flora and now the contrast 10 years later with natural self seeding of trees underway and a richer ground flora present is marvellous.

TWO CHIMNEYS HEDGE 2003-2007

2007-04-25T17:19:00.000+01:00

(Project 8A on the projects map)

Two Chimneys Hedge in Park Road being planted in 2003 and how it looks in late April 2007.

The view is north to Shottendane Road with the Millenium Hedge (planted in 1998)on the right-hand side of the lane. The mild April has brought the Hawthorn into blossom and oil-seed rape into flower three weeks earlier than normal. The top of Two Chimney's screening bund was planted in January 2007 and a wildlife haven will develop between the two plantings!

A 'Savill' Lime can be seen behind the Millenium Hedge on the right.

10th PLANTING SEASON CELEBRATED

2007-04-24T21:54:00.000+01:00

The morning of Saturday 21st April 2007 was a busy one for Trees for Thanet Group. Meridian TV returned after 10 Years to see how the projects had grown and to interview 3 members who had been involved 10 years ago in the planting of the 'Millenium Hedgerow'

Roger Gale MP, was invited to plant a lovely dessert cherry to mark the end of the 10th Planting Season with 'old planters' joining the current team to watch. In addition, loyal and long term sponsors were invited to come along and celebrate and Mr & Mrs Horwood from 'Lemon Tree' in Ramsgate and Mr Anthony Curwen from Quex Park Estates Ltd also joined the Group.

Roger Gale MP does the honours!

(Because of the early spring and unseasonably warm and dry weather, the cherry was planted earlier in March and can now be seen 'planted' in full blossom!)

After the 'planting', Anthony Curwen very kindly invited Trees for Thanet Group and Sponsors to his house in Quex Park for much welcome refreshments at an informal reception to round off a busy morning.

Paul Fitzgerald and his camera-man Phil, arrived at 0930 and spent until 1045 taking shots and interviewing members, old and new. Because planting was long over and TV requires 'activity', the Group were asked to look busy and ended up pulling Alexanders out of the 'QEQM' Hedge in Park Road and removing spirals and canes from planting on the Manston Road.
Paul Fitzgerald and Phil record the action as 'QEQM' Hedge loses some un-welcome Alexanders.

Phil, the camera-man, moves in on hand-weeding and spiral guard removal of 1 year plants.

It is hoped to be able to put up the Meridain clip for access in due course but until then it is the 4th item on Meridian Southeast News of 21st April and can be looked at on www.Meridiantv.com. For a fast link try: www.itvlocal.com/meridian/news/?player=MER_News_26&void=61492

Two Chimneys/ Savill Family Limes/Richborough (2003)

2007-04-16T15:23:00.000+01:00

It was not realised at the start of the planting season of November 2002 - March 2003 that Trees for Thanet would finish planting 3,428 hedgerow shrubs and trees in one season!

TWO CHIMNEYS HEDGE
(See Project 8A on Projects Map)

Work on the Jubilee Hedge was suspended on Sat 11 January 2003 for two weeks and Trees for Thanet returned to Park Road. Two Chimneys Caravan Park had leased, from Quex Park, a 20 acre field between its site and Park Road and during the summer of 2002 raised a screening bund around it. Two Chimneys very kindly agreed to Trees for Thanet planting the verge by the bund in Park Road in order to complete hedging opposite The Millenium Hedge along its length; this would mean Park Road being hedged from Woodchurch Farm to the Junction with Shottendane Road. Two Chimneys also generously sponsored the cost of planting.

To match the Millenium Hedge, tubex shelters were used for a hedge for the last time by Trees for Thanet and a single row of 475 hawthorns was planted. In addition, 5 wild cherries were planted in the Millenium Hedge footpath gap and at the ends of the Two Chimneys Hedge. The picture above shows the view towards Shottendane Road. In the background can be seen the trees of Shottendane Copse (Project 2) and on the right of the lane can be seen 'The Millenium Hedge' (Project 3) after 5 summers of growth. (Two Chimneys planted the wide top of the bund in January 2007 with a triple row of trees and shrubs with spiral guards, canes and black mulch sheet; in a few years time it is hoped that the static caravans will be screened from view by a thick shelter belt!) A wild cherry is safely planted and staked. (This tree , together with the hawthorns behind,was damaged in the summer of 2005 by children staying at Two Chimneys; it has since re-grown another stem below the snapped off original.). The Isle of Thanet gazette recorded the end of the project on Saturday 18th January with the Group's sponsors from Two Chimneys.

THE 'SAVILL' LIMES

On Saturday 22March 2003, the Group planted 5 'standard' size Limes as 'pole' trees behind the 'Millenium Hedge' and 'QEQM Hedge on behalf of Kath Savill of Birchington. Kath has been the longest and most generous of the many individual sponsors of Trees for Thanet and each time a child is born within the family, a contribution to Trees for Thanet is made to sponsor a tree. These 5 limes have not flourished as the Group would have wished , although they are 'hanging on in there' still! Perhaps late planting and dry summers put too much stress on the larger trees; it is hoped mulch sheeting will give them a better chance to survive.

RICHBOROUGH

In the week leading up to Saturday 12th April 2003, Trees for Thanet received a cry for help from Quex Park Estates to help them plant hedgerows at Kingsend Farm at Richborough. They had experienced problems planting earlier and were now outside the normal planting season in what was turning out to be a hot dry spring! The ground had been prepared and very small plants wrapped in black 'mesh' guards; 1,018 of them! The Group had observed the high casualty rate the previous summer of similar sized plants, notch planted on The Manston Road in Birchington and were not optomistic!

After a briefing about 'slot' or 'notch' planting the young people set to with a will and all 1,018 were in the ground by mid-day. The technique involves forcing the spade into the ground to create the 'slot' and the young plant in its mesh guard is inserted into the 'slot' with a sideways wiping action to avoid root damage. Feet are then used to close the slot; the mesh guard has sufficient rigidity to support the small plant.The problem in dry conditions is that the slot does not close well and an air pocket allows the roots to dry out and the plant dies. Quex Park was not able to water them in and the results were as expected; a high failure rate!

The Jubilee Hedge ( Nov 2002 - Mar 2003)

2007-04-15T21:32:00.000+01:00

(Project 8 on Projects Map)

Spiral guards being wrapped around plants and their support canes.

The winter of 2002/2003 saw a big change in the way Trees for Thanet planted! Tubex tree shelters with stakes were abandoned due to excessive cost and the amount of labour required to put them in and take them off only 2 years later. The other change was the decision to start planting as early in the 'planting season' as possible. It had been noticed that the earlier planted trees established better and that late plantings up to the end of March were more water stressed due to traditional low rainfall levels in Thanet in late February and March. Spiral guards with supporting canes were a cheaper option and enabled one person to plant by themself as opposed to having to plant with a partner.

As the summer saw the celebration of Her Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee, the hedgerow project was titled The Jubilee Hedge. Quex Park were the sponsors and the plan was to establish a double row hedge in Woodchurch Road from where the lane from Garlinge meets the tree-line around the stables at Woodchurch Farm to the bottom of the hill towards Reclamet. The new hedge would match the hedge Trees for Thanet had planted on the west side of the lane in 2000.

The picture above shows the digging team digging holes for the front row down the slope from Woodchurch Farm towards the sharp right hand Hackthorn Farm bend. The 'Environmental Project 2000' (Phase 2) hedge planted in 2000 can be seen on the west side of the lane after 3 summer's growth and with tubex removed.
Trees for Thanet were delighted to have the help of 9 students from Ellington Girls School who were carrying out Community Service for their ASDAN Award and in two afternoons in January 2003 they planted 250 whips opposite the tree-line at the stables at Woodchurch Farm. The picture above shows the spiral guards and support canes very clearly.

The picture above shows Trees for Thanet planters on a Saturday morning planting as individuals. It proved easy to support, with one hand, the whip,cane and spiral guard in the centre of the dug hole and use the other to scrape the soil, left by diggers immediately in front of the hole, into the hole and carefully place it around the roots. A gentle shake of the plant allowed soil to settle into any air pockets around the roots and the soil was firmed down around the stem using knuckles! A team in support had first to wrap spirals around the plants and supporting canes, allowing young shooting branches to protrude from the spiral guard and then get them to fast moving planters!

The Group found that more plants could be planted this way on Saturday mornings and as they became more adept, the planting rate went up dramatically with a total of 400 trees being planted in just one well attended session. On two Saturdays in January 2003, the Group diverted to another planting project ( Two Chimneys verge in Park Road) which is covered in a separate report.

By Saturday 8th March 2003, a total of 1925 hawthorns had been planted into the Jubilee Hedge and Roger Gale MP made his second visit to the Group to plant the last of 5 wild cherries put into the hedge. The Isle of Thanet Gazette recorded the event in the normal way!

This particular hedge has caused the Group major problems. Firstly, the summer of 2003 was hot and drought conditions were experienced. The casualty rate was about 3% - 5% and was low because of good planting and tedious sweaty work of hand weeding for its first two summers. A hedge planted by a contractor for Quex Park on the Manston Road at the same time as the Jubilee Hedge suffered 60% - 70% casualties in 2003 and has subsequently been replanted by, yes, Trees for Thanet!

In addition, a thief came and dug up two of the wild cherries, including the one Roger Gale is seen planting in the picture above!

However, the worst problem in this hedge has been the growth of 'Alexanders' throughout most of its length which has weakened growth in sections, by growing up inside the hedge. Constant cutting and strimming has been necessary but with a long tap root, this plant can only be eradicated by digging it up or treating it with chemical weed-killer; it is a sad fact that 'Alexanders' in this hedge will only be eradicated by spraying. A separate report on this most pernicious of weeds will be posted in due course.

QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER HEDGE (2002)

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(Project 7 on the Projects Map)

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother 4th August 1900 - 30th March 2002

Trees for Thanet finished planting a hedgerow in Park Road on Saturday 16th March and two weeks later the Queen Mother died. It was decided to commemorate her life in a simple way by calling the hedge The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hedge.

In autumn of 2001, the Group removed 1,500 tubex shelters from earlier planting for re-use in January 2002. The photograph above shows the view in Park Road towards the grain storage shed at Woodchurch Farm. A filled gap section of the 'Millenium Hedge', planted in 1997, can be seen on the left of the lane and the edge of the field on the right was the site for the new hedge.

1075 hawthorns ( sponsored by Quex Park) were planted with 5 wild cherry trees from Saturday 19th January - Saturday 16th March 2002. Trees for Thanet was joined by 3 scouts from Garlinge Scouts and altogether 28 young people worked on the hedge. The picture above showing the view of Park Road to the junction with Shottendane Road gives a clear idea of the organisation of the planting: stakes spaced; diggers in the foreground; planters and staking in the background! The planting was started at the Bridle Way that runs from Park Road to the Manston Road because the field on the left beside the Shottendane Road was to be leased by Quex Park to Two Chimneys Caravan Park and a 'bund' or earth screening bank was made around the 20 acre field that summer.

The 'diggers' at work!

Pairs of planters at work. Those kneeling are supporting the 60 cm 'whips' and tubex shelter while earth is then shovelled carefully back into the hole around the roots.

The hedge was planted as a single row to match the earlier planting on the opposite side of the lane (the Millenium Hedgerow).

Miss R Quested, author of 'The Isle of Thanet Farming Community' and who knew Woodchurch Farm intimately, contacted the Group to say how delighted she was to see hedgerows being put back on both sides of the lane and remembered how it had been prior to World War II.

When the owners of the modern 'Woodchurch House', opposite the farm-yard saw the work going on, they approached the Group and asked if it could assist them with a hedge around their 'prospective tennis court'. On the basis that it would complement the new hedge, screen the site and met the Group's unofficial motto " Trees for Thanet will happily plant your money", an extra Saturday morning was spent putting 250 hawthorns in around their site and 1 x wild cherry(Project 7A on Projects Map). In addition, the Group planted a commemerative small leaved lime by the side of the Bridle Path sponsored by a family in remembrance of their grandmother.

FOOT & MOUTH OUTBREAK STOPS WORK

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The plan for early 2001 was to plant a single row hedgerow opposite the 'Millenium Hedge' in Park Road. Members had been doing maintenance work (weeding & clearing) in the Autumn of 2000 in preparation and then Foot & Mouth erupted. Whilst Thanet was fortunately not affected, Quex Park's land near Sandwich bordered an outbreak zone and because cattle were being grazed in Quex Park, all work had to cease for the planting season and until the 'all clear' was given. Most young members of the Group appreciated the enforced 'rest' and like all young people, enjoyed the Saturday mornings wrapped under a duvet as opposed to freezing in a NE wind blowing over a ploughed field !

Despite 'losing' a planting season, weeding and clearing was able to restart in the summer to prevent the previous plantings from becoming overgrown.

'Environmental Project - 2000' (Phase 2 -2000)

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(Project 6 on Projects Map)

With the start of the new millenium, Trees for Thanet found themselves back in Woodchurch Road. Phase 2 of the 'Environmental Project - 2000' was to extend an old hedgerow from the corner by Hackthorne Farm entrance to the first house up the slope at Woodchurch Farm.

The plan was to put a double planted hedgerow in , leaving an access gap at the bottom of the slope for farm machinery.

The intense nature of production is illustrated in these pictures with cultivation right up to a small grass verge. This was about to change dramatically.

Work began on Saturday 22nd January 2000 and the two row hedge had been planted by Saturday 11th March. Trees for Thanet was joined again by volunteers from 1st Westgate Scouts.

Two volunteers from 1st Westgate Scouts plant the front row.

Careful planting with tubex on, takes two and one learning how to do it!

1375 hawthorns were planted each with a tubex tree shelter staked into the ground. The Group would typically divide into teams: the 'diggers' dug a square hole 10" by 10" to shovel depth; the 'prep' team marked out the spacing with stakes, placed plants into tubex shelters and carried them to the planters; the 'planters', working in pairs, carefully planted and the 'hammer' team banged home the shelter stakes and tightened up the ties to the stakes.

The picture shows the front row winding its way up the slope towards Woodchurch Farm.

On the first of April, Shaun Connell, as Chairman of Thanet's Economic Development Action Group was invited to mark the end of the two year ' Environmental Project 2000' by helping the group plant 3 wild cherry trees; one on the bend and one either side of the access gap. He was helped by our youngest volunteer that year! As usual The Isle of Thanet Gazette was there to record the moment.

The planting season also saw the Group re-fence Sparrow Castle (Site 1) and Shottendane Copse (Site 2) with the help of a grant via TDC from The European Community Chest. In addition to regular private support and Quex Park's ongoing support, a new sponsor, Lemon Tree of Ramsgate sponsored the Group for the first time and has done so since. Without such generous sponsorship, the hedges would not have been planted.

The picture, taken in August 2002, shows the view down Woodchurch Road from Woodchurch Farm towards the bend, after the hedge had 2 summers of growing!

A thief made the second theft the Group experienced from planted hedgerows. In February 2000, within 2 weeks of the first plants being put in, a person came and carefully removed from the bend, 16 hawthorns (at intervals) from the larger tubex shelters only. Over the following years further thefts have ocurred. If you know of anyone slowly planting a hawthorn hedge by stages please let Trees for Thanet know.

In 2004 a leaking irrigation valve released water slowly into the ground around one of the 'gap marking' wild cherries and waterlogged conditions killed the tree; normally the problem in Thanet is not enough water!

MANSTON PARK - 1999

2007-04-12T22:58:00.000+01:00

In 1998, Trees for thanet received a request for help from Audrey Twyman, Clerk to Manston Parish Council. Like Broadstairs & St Peters Town Council, the year before, Manston had some limited funds and wanted to put some hedges and trees into Manston Park, could Trees for Thanet help? Of course!; the Group is always happy to plant other peoples money!

After on-site visits it was decided to hedge in the dog-walking area( dog-toilet area actually!), put hedges along open fencing, gap fill on existing hedges and plant a small copse of trees to the left of the entrance car-park.

Work took place over 3 Saturday mornings and began on the 6th March after work on the 'Environment Project -2000' in Woodchurch Road had finished. 300 hawthorns, 80 mixed species and 10 saplings were planted by the Group and 1st Westgate Scouts. The project finished with the planting of a young specimen oak bought by Manston Parish Council. The Chairman, David Steed came to do the honours and the Isle of Thanet Gazette recorded the event!

As it was late in the season, there was concern that the oak would be vulnerable to drought conditions in the summer. Promises to water the oak were made but it needed thorough watering with about 5 gallons each week! The summer was hot and sadly the oak did not make it! Trees for Thanet has decided that in future, it will purchase stock to be planted; that way they will take the blame for failure!

A lesson learned then and later was that 10' to 12' specimen trees are all well and good for instant effect but need weekly soaking for the first year. It has been found better to plant 2-3 yr 'whips' and let them grow strongly in situ and get roots out and down as they grow.

" Environmental Project - 2000 " (Phase 1- 1999)

2007-04-12T20:06:00.000+01:00

(Project 5 on Projects Map)

An old hedge used to run along the North side of Woodchurch Road from the bend at Hackthorne Farm to the junction with the Manston Road. The aim of the first stage of the 'Environmental Project 2000' was to fill gaps in the old hedge and reinstate long open sections. Money was raised by another 'Sponsor a Tree' campaign and £1,000 was donated by Quex Park. This enabled many gaps to be filled and a long open section was double row planted down towards Reclamet. This was the first 'double-row' planting; 'The Millenium Hedge' was a single row. The double row planting tends to produce a thicker, sturdier hedge.

The volunteers look at the job!

The 'nerve centre' where tubex meet their trees.

The front row going into an 'open' furrow prepared by the farmer to assist planting.
The front row takes shape (view towards Manston Road)

Scouts from 1st Westgate join Trees for Thanet

Another Saturday morning and the second row goes in.

A snail's view of the rows of protective tubex

A total of 1,350 hawthorns were planted in Jan/Feb 1999 and 36 young people were involved with 1st Westgate Scouts joining Trees for Thanet volunteers for the first time.

The Group came in for quite a bit of criticism from passing horse-riders and motorists. The motorists regarded the lane as their own race-track and did not understand that dangerous driving and excessive speed causes accidents, not hedgerows. The horse-riders did not understand that the hedge-row projects were just a part of a much bigger plan. The Group had been in discussion with Quex Park about the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and Quex Park were putting forward proposals for a 6m wide headland to be sown behind the hedgerows, which would include a 'permissive bridleway'. This was done! Have any horse-riders bothered to volunteer to help or even pick up litter in the past 8 years?

Of 7km of hedge-row planted since the Trees for Thanet Group began work, this hedgerow has had most deliberate damage caused to it by local residents and horse-riders. Rather than trot or walk to un-planted access points, young trees and tubex were trampled to create gaps to gain access to the headlands from a number of points opposite or close to drive-ways. Such vandalism by adults is actually criminal damage and discourages young people.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS

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Trees for Thanet Group were nominated in 1998 for The Try Angle Awards in the Environment & Services to The Community Section and won a nice plastic triangle at The Winter Gardens in Margate. This was presented to 5 representatives by Chairman of TDC, Cllr Margret Davies. (photo below)

By 2006 , The Group or members of the Group, had been nominated 5 times and on 4 occasions had won the Environment & Service to The Community Section Try Angle Award for Dover and East Kent. It is always nice to see the hard work done by the Group recognised in such a public way.

ANOTHER PRIZE IN 1998!

Rail Track (Southern) awarded Trees for Thanet £250 in March of 1998 for coming 2nd in a region-wide Environment Competition and this was subsequently planted!

Culmers Field Allottments - Broadstairs (1998)

2007-04-11T08:41:00.000+01:00

Trees for Thanet received a request from Kim Headley at Broadstairs & St Peters Town Council for help in November 1997. The Council had a small amount of money to buy trees and shrubs to put a hedgerow in along the fence at Culmers Field at the back of the allotments but not enough money to pay for it to be done commercially. Trees for Thanet, happy to plant other peoples money, was happy to oblige. On Saturday 7th February, the Group left the Millenium Hedge in Birchington to its own devices and shifted en-masse to Broadstairs.

As you can see from the photograph, ground clearance was not a problem and work began quickly to put in a wildlife hedge with hazel, elder, dog-rose and lime mixed in with hawthorn.

Digging turned out to be easy and 250 plants paid for by Broadstairs & St Peters Town Council quickly went into the ground.

The presence of two Leylandii (see top photograph) was not appreciated and although planted up to and on the other side, were expected to shade out and inhibit growth beneath them; this they did in due course!

The other problem was that the Council could not afford to buy enough plants to do the whole job and a section of fencing still remains un-planted to this day towards the Vere Road (Coach Park) end.

Kim Headley and the Isle of Thanet Gazette photographer turned up to record the morning's work for posterity.

Trees for Thanet weeded the planting site in the summer of 1998 and discovered that some-one who clearly knew species required for themselves had dug out 12 trees, mainly hazel , leaving the tree shelters standing but empty. This was the first instance of theft experienced by Trees for Thanet but sadly, not the last! A Trees for Thanet member who lived in Broadstairs, took on weeeding by hand in the summer of 1999 and in 2000 the tree shelters were removed. Further casualties ocurred that Spring as contractors strimming the edge of grass lawns, were less than careful. The picture below was taken in the summer of 2002.

The Millenium Hedgerow (1997 -1998)

2007-04-10T16:38:00.000+01:00

(Project 3 on Projects Map)
The idea was to restore a hedge on the east side of Park Road, Birchington from Woodchurch Farm to the junction with Shottendane Road. Quex Park who owned the land said 'yes' and it was just a case of getting sponsorship to buy plants and tree shelters.

A Sponsor a Tree Campaign raised over £600 and with money from Holland, Japan, TDC, Quex, The Albion Hotel, Chartwells and Morris General Stores and numerous sponsors in Thanet, the Group was able to start work. Work began at the Farm end and involved clearing to bare ground before any planting could begin.

Planting began in January 1997 and by March 400 hawthorns had been planted in a single row each with its tree-shelter and stake.

Meridian TV visited Trees for Thanet at work on 15th March and ran news items over that week-end on the project. On the 22nd March ,Leader of TDC Cllr. Margaret Davies came along to mark the end of planting for 1997 and planted the last hawthorn for the year.

The summer of 1997 saw hand weeding and maintenance and the picture below shows how quickly a young hedgerow can be overgrown. Those with a keen eye will see 'Alexanders' in the foreground!

In November 1997, planting began again and by March 1998, a further 600 hawthorns with a wildlife mix of 50 other species had been planted. To complete the 'Millenium Hedgerow', Roger Gale, MP for Thanet North, came and planted a small-leaved Lime to mark the end of the hedge on Saturday 21 March 1998.
The Millenium Hedgerow involved 53 young people from Thanet schools either digging, planting, attaching guards, hammering in stakes or the less popular task of hand-weeding. In 1999 the first tree guards were taken off; the picture below shows the young hedge on the left with the view to Woodchurch Farm from the start of the footpath that runs left to Shottendane Road.

In Spring 2000 the final tree shelters were taken off and a flattering low shot shows the single row hedgerow from the Shottendane Road end that summer and the effect of two years handweeding and strimming.

Winners of BT Environmental Week '97 Challenge

2007-04-09T20:34:00.000+01:00

The Trees for Thanet Groups first Award! It came with a £500 cheque that was soon planted. The only snag was that planting had to be done in the week 10th- 18th May and it was decided to put pot grown plants into Shottendane Copse (Site2)!

Work had already commenced on the first hedgerow project (The Millenium Hedgerow) and it was this project that probably impressed the judges most.

This was the first but not the last 'Award' and if money was attached as well, all the better as it enabled planting to happen.

Shottendane Copse (Site 2)

2007-04-08T17:20:00.000+01:00

(Project 2 on Projects Map)

This little stand of trees on the corner of Park Road and Shottendane attracted the Trees for Thanet Group's attention in the spring of 1996. It was on the land tenanted by The Linington family at Somali Farm and Mr David Linington let Trees for Thanet adopt it. The trees were mainly old Ash and Sycamores with dying trees, Hazel and one English Oak. The very obvious feature as the photograph shows, was a 100% ground cover of what must be the scourge of Thanet, 'Alexanders'. The first task was to cut out all the 'Alexanders' and remove years of dumped rubbish. A nurse at Margate Hospital was re-united with her handbag that had been stolen the previous autumn and thrown out of car!

The ground clearance revealed nothing re-generating or growing under the 'Alexanders'; this weed starts growing in the late autumn and through mild winters and has established an impenetrable barrier to light before any other seedlings get started in the Spring. A home-made ranch fence was put up as a boundary and the site kept neat and tidy.

In the late spring of 1997 as The Group had won a BT Environmental Competition, the prize money was planted. The following were planted: 3 broadleaved limes; 2 horse-chestnut; 2 London Plane; 2 holly, 12 assorted shrubs. There was concern about the late planting and a very hot dry summer and lack of mulch sheet, resulted in casualties. It was eventually decided to use weed-killer to kill off resurgent Alexanders and natural regeneration of Ash, Sycamore and an Oak has happened.

3 dead trees have been felled, tit nesting boxes placed and ivy removed from trunks. The ground flora has improved with bluebells, snow-drops and lilly of the valley among a much richer ground flora of herbs and grasses. In 2005 daffodil bulbs were planted around the perimeter to give a touch of spring colour.

The main problems encountered have been litter discarded from passing cars and fly-tipping and the re-entry of Alexanders. In the summer of 2006 we had a visit from yobs on to the site who decided to kick over tree-guards and snap two of our ,then 12 foot high Limes!

In March 2000 a grant from TDC 's Community Chest enabled a nice new fence to be constructed around the edges of the site. Since then it has had to be repaired no less than 5 times due to speeding idiots who cannot stay on the road. The luckiest young driver manged to go through the fence and through the site and onto Mr Linington's ploughed field on the other side without hitting a major tree.

Early Days 1996 (Sparrow Castle)

2007-04-06T19:18:00.001+01:00

(Project 1 on Projects Map)

Work began on the 'hump' opposite Sparrow Castle Pumping Station by the side of the Manston Road on Saturday 9th March 1996. The picture above shows clearing and preparation in progress and you can make out the outline of the trees around Cleve Court in the distance to the west. Although it was late in the season, after years of accumulated rubbish and huge thickets of brambles had been cleared, 124 trees and shrubs were planted. This view has now been lost forever as TDC allowed Cummings Diesel to build a huge modern factory on agricultural land 800 m to the west of the 'hump'. Not only was a lovely view lost forever but Thanet's remaining upland chalk plateau has now effectively been ringed in by development from Manston-Cummings-Acol -Birchington and wildlife movement restricted as a result.

The following 31 young people were involved in the project: Luke Appleby, Edward Dutton, Conor Grogan, Niall Grogan, Carolina Lameiras, Philip Mhango, Themba Mhango, Sarah Gwonyoma, Dominic Peachey, Richard Roberts, Anne Ogunniya, Yorquabel Soquar, John Sumner, Sean Sutcliffe, Brian Tsui, Nicholas Wake, Matthew Piper, Phillip Neale, James Robertson, Alan Tsui, Rupak Das, Richard Orchard-Smith, Hannah Dearling, Daniella Ardolino, Eleanor Shaddick, Warren Brayn, Catherine Clowes, Peter Rose, Antonia Salter, Sarah Barnes and Dominic Huxford.

Thanet Times came to take a picture on 5th May as the last two trees were planted. As it was early days the future problems of moisture retention and weed control to reduce water loss from the soil was not addressed and no mulch sheeting was put down. This, together with late planting and a poor soil (railway ballast and chalk) meant a slow start and a high casualty rate.

The problem is illustrated here! This was Summer of 2001 and growth after 5 years was slow! Note the fence (courtesy of TDC Grant) and how Cummings' factory has cut out the view to Cleve Court. The tyre in the foreground is not fly-tipping! It marks a field irrigation point of the pipe-line installed on the west side of The Manston Road.

Our Projects

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The map shows our projects between Birchington and Manston.

The Trees for Thanet Group was initially started at the 'new' Ursuline College, Westgate in January 1996 to provide a Service for Duke of Edinburgh's Award members at the school. It has since become a 'stand alone' group providing opportunity for environmental service throughout Thanet.

The first project began when permission was given by Quex Park to begin work on the 'hump' opposite Sparrow Castle Pumping Station on the Manston Road.(1) in January 1996. It is believed the 'hump' was formed when the military railway line spur to Manston was taken out and hardcore was piled up there.

Years of accumulated rubbish was cleared and 124 trees and shrubs were planted. Because of the nature of the site, a dry summer and the group's inexperience, by September 1997, a survey revealed 24 failures. A home-made ranch fence was put around the site, since replaced; strimming to produce grasses has happened and the front end is still maintained with the rear part of the site now un-managed.

The site provides a habitat for short-tailed voles, foxes and in recent years sky-lark nests. The purists would object to daffodills planted close to the road, but they add colour in spring!

Its been 10 years

2007-04-03T16:10:00.000+01:00

I am finding its easier to plant trees than it is to set up a Blog site, so bear with us until some technical help comes in!

The Trees for Thanet Group began in 1996 and has now involved over 300 young people from around Thanet in planting hedgerows and trees. We have been altering the look of lanes between Birchington and Manston for 10 planting seasons and collecting tons of rubbish. The aim was to to restore old hedges and create improved habitat for wild-life in an area under intense cultivation right up to road verges. With the help of Quex Park and other sponsors and a great deal of hard work by young people, these aims are being achieved.

The aim of this blog is to provide a history of the past 11 years and to keep anyone who is interested, updated on what is going on now.

When we master the technical details of putting photographs on we will also illustrate items with before and after pictures and any other pictures that might be of interest.