ON SUNDAY a team of borough Scouts took part in a tree planting session to help restore an area of natural beauty in Woosehill.
In conjunction with Friends of Fox Hill, and Wokingham Borough Council Countryside Services team, the 1st Woosehill Scouts helped to plant more than 100 saplings to help restore natural growth in Fox Hill Woodland.
Simon Coleman, 1st Woosehill Scouts leader, said: “The Friends of Fox Hill have been clearing large areas of invasive Rhododendron Ponticum, which has left the woodland floor very barren.
“This is due to the way the plant blankets an area and changes the soil composition, making it difficult for traditional plants to re-establish there.”
The wood already has mature canopy cover, but lacks intermediate under-storey trees and ground level plants.
New young under-storey trees for the project were provided by the Woodland Trust, as part of its community planting programme.
“In the bright, warm spring sunshine, more than 20 of our Scouts, their siblings and their parents, turned out to help restore the woodland,” Simon continued.
“They planted a selection of species including: hazel, blackthorn, rowan, and elder, with each tree given a protective guard to prevent deer and other animals from feeding on the tender shoots.”
To further improve the soil and give the young trees the best start, the group used a fungi root dip on the roots.
“This will help re-establish the ‘wood-wide-web’ which is disrupted by the rhododendron,” he explained.
“We’re really grateful to everyone who made this project possible: to Friends of Fox Hill, The Woodland trust, Wokingham Borough Council Countryside Services Team, and to our Scout leaders and parents.”
For information, visit: 1stwoosehill.org.uk, friendsoffoxhill.org, wokingham.gov.uk and woodlandtrust.org.uk
