Learning Environment
Planting our first woodland
During the winter of 2022, St Cadoc's School applied for a selection of trees from the Woodland Trust. They were giving away free trees to people and companies with land to help encourage the re-wilding of areas that could benefit from the addition of native trees. After a couple of months, the Woodland Trust delivered approximately two hundred trees to the school. They came in four cardboard boxes, very well wrapped.
Mr Lifton's class were all very enthusiastic about getting the trees planted. They spent some time discussing the different species of native trees and that they would take many years to establish into fully grown trees. After a brief demonstration (make a small hole, plug and fill), the children set about planting the two hundred trees.
After the 'whips' (small/baby trees) were planted, the children used bamboo stakes and rodent guards to give them a bit of protection: mainly from the mowers and the grounds men. The school were also given a large pile of mulch for free from our maintenance team! The children used this to create small doughnut shapes with the mulch around the whip bases to help provide some nutrition to the soil and mark out the trees to help others notice that they needed to be left alone.
The Plan
Year 1
Plant trees in specific areas within the school field. There would be two distinct areas: one larger area to be set aside as a small woodland toward the back of the school playing field and another as an allotment area. The allotment area would be surrounded by a hedge, formed from the trees planted in a zig-zag pattern. These will be left to mature for three to four years and eventually laid to form a thicker, more dense hedge.
Year 2
2023 - 2024 This year we are focussing on tree maintenance. After planting nearly 200 trees last year, we will be weeding and mulching young trees to give them the best start in life. Early maintenance is vital to encourage strong, healthy roots. Tree guards and steaks are checked regularly throughout the winter months to encourage the trees to grow straight and tall. Weeds are continuously removed from the base of the young trees and mulch rings are placed in a doughnut shape. This provides nutrients and moisture to the early root system.
