Pick up a free fruit tree and help save Devon’s treescapes
Published: 24 January 2023
Free trees are being offered up this weekend to householders as part of a scheme to encourage more tree cover across the county.
Saving Devon’s Treescapes will be running a free Tree Hub in Ludwell Valley Park in Exeter from 10am on Sunday 29 January offering people the chance to collect up to five trees to plant in their gardens.
Organisers are advising people to turn up early in the day - once the trees are gone…they’re gone!
Saving Devon's Treescapes is led by Devon Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Devon Ash Dieback Resilience Forum. It's a partnership project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Exeter City Council, One Tree Planted and other funders.
Devon's treescapes are stunning and crucial habitats for so much wildlife, but they are under threat from Ash Dieback which is estimated to kill at least 90% of Devon’s ash trees in the coming years. It will affect everyone, but everyone can be part of the solution.
People can do their bit by planting trees, so why not start at the weekend!
People will be able to collect between one and five trees along with protection and a free planting and aftercare guide. The trees will all be cell grown UK broadleaf species such as crab apple, wild cherry, rowan and birch. They will be two to three years old and so around 20-60cm in height. They will need to be planted within a few days of collection.
Local volunteers and community groups run the free tree hubs in their own time, so people are asked to be patient and considerate.
Organisers have apologised in advance if all the trees have run out by the time some people have arrived, so are urging people turn up early to avoid disappointment.
Those who are looking to plant more than five trees should contact the treescapes team who will then add names to a waiting list for next planting season (winter 2023/24).
Trees are generally allocated in September for the upcoming planting season. Please email Rosie at rcotgreave@devonwildlifetrust.org with as many details of the proposed planting as possible.
Ludwell Valley Park is one of six valley parks in Exeter owned by the City Council and managed by Devon Wildlife Trust.
Thanks go to the Woodland Trust for supplying the trees. To find out more about the event, please go to the Devon Wildlife Trust website https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/events/2023-01-29-free-tree-hub-ludwell-valley-park
Read more about the project and find other ways to get involved on the Saving Devon’s Treescapes website at https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/what-we-do/our-projects/saving-devons-treescapes