Digging deep to combat climate change Volunteers from the Sustainable Chulmleigh group have planted hundreds of trees as part of a new environmental initiative called Woods4Water, aimed at reducing flooding and improving water quality in local rivers. “It was great to have so many willing volunteers. 25 adults and 9 children helped plant 700 trees on just the first day,” said one of the organisers Claire Withers. “It is just over a year since we formed Sustainable Chulmleigh and had only managed to hold two events before the Covid-19 lockdowns. I think people were just so relieved to get back outside and feel they were doing something really positive for the environment.” A mix of more than 1,200 native tree species have now been planted by the volunteers at Lakehead Farm to improve water quality and reduce the downstream flood risk to local communities on the River Mole Taw catchment area. “Without their help, we would have struggled to have got half the planting completed. What a great crew & a massive ‘thanks’ to everyone who has helped get our project completed,” said landowner Leica Lucas-Ridge. Woods4Water is managed by North Devon Biosphere. Alongside planting two acres of new woodland at Chulmleigh, six ‘leaky dams’ - like those created by beavers (see pages 22-23) have also been made to help slow the flow of water during heavy rains. Bryony Paul, Pledge for Nature coordinator at the Biosphere said, “Planting large numbers of trees can be a time and labour intensive process so it is fantastic that the community are helping out local landowners. These trees will benefit everyone by providing habitats for wildlife, reducing flood risk and helping to combat climate change. Planting a tree is also very rewarding as you feel that you are making a real and tangible difference for nature.” The planting proved to be a great activity for all the family, pictured left are mum Ellie Gibson with children Hollie & Diego (photo Jo Moser). It’s hoped there will be more tree planting events over the winter months. The Sustainable Chulmleigh group can be found on Facebook. More information on Woods4Water can be found online here: northdevonbiosphere.org.uk/woods4water
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