MANSTON PARK - 1999

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)

(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

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)

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)

(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

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)

(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)

(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

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

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.