Kingston University Biodiversity Action Group

15-02-2018: Day 1 on our 2018 planting project at Kingston Hill

Preparation is key
Last Saturday, the Environment Trust's Duke of Edinburgh volunteers helped KUBAG with our site preparation for a tree planting project in November 2018.

We've been clearing rhododendron from the woodland around our site at Kingston Hill for a number of years.

One of the the areas we've targeted is located just above the meadow by the School of Music at Coombehurst House. With recent progress, we now have room to plan in phased planting, while retaining space to to get in behind the planting to do rhodo bashes in other areas of the woods.

A short lived sunny morning greeted the volunteers

Area of bracken, bramble and low growing rhodo roots to be transformed by tree planting from Nov 2018
We had a great turn out by the DofE volunteers on Saturday, they worked hard to clear the planting area of bramble roots, bracken and rhodo roots.
New volunteers Hugo, Teah and Gabbie, get to grips with using mattocks to dig out rhodo roots
Their first success!

Jake and James happy with the results of their hard work digging out this big root

Hannah, Gemma and Ben grubbing out bramble roots
Pulling up bracken, and saving it to use elsewhere on the site
By removing the larger woody weeds now, we'll be able to deal with the smaller unwanted plants that grow between now and November, quickly. 

During the planting event we will be planting small tree saplings including species such as Rowan and Silver Birch, to re-establish the tree line that used to edge the meadow area. 

It took a large number of the team to get these two tricky roots out over the course of the day
Our planting event will be one of hundreds taking place nationally under the banner of National Tree Week (24th Nov - 2nd December 2018 ).

But November is a while away, and we have plenty for you to get involved with before then; including our second planting day preparation day on Saturday 10th March between 10am and 4:30pm - Kingston Hill.

A quick group shot with the whole team in the rain,  before getting back to work after lunch.
If we finish the site prep on the day, we will continue with our bramble bash on the Nature trail at Kingston Hill to help encourage our ground flora to develop fully. 

Come along and join us, the more the merrier and snacks are provided as incentive on the day :)
Sign up by emailing biodiversity@kingston.ac.uk

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