Volunteers’ hard work commemorated at new woodland

Northwood Headquarters kindly donated a plaque that celebrates their volunteers as well as Hertfordshire County Council’s Countryside Management Service and Three Rivers District Council officers and councillors giving up their time to plant more than 1,500 trees at South Oxhey Playing Fields on 21 January.

Despite the heavy rain, the volunteers planted a mix of English Oak, Hornbeam, Hazel and many more tree species. This was also the first time the district council used the Miyawaki Method, which uses dense planting of native species on open land or areas with degraded soil to create fast-growing, self-sustaining, small woodlands. Before planting the ground was turned over and large amounts of compost added. This approach accelerates ecosystem development and can deliver long-term environmental benefits.

The plaque was unveiled by Cllr Stephen King, Chair of Three Rivers District Council, Cllr Sarah Nelmes, Deputy Leader and Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Chris Lloyd, Lead Member for Leisure, and Major Ian Houlding and Group Captain Neil Towers from Northwood Headquarters.

Cllr King said: “I am proud that we were able to commemorate everyone involved in this unique tree planting session and I would like to Northwood Headquarters for purchasing the plaque. I would also like to thank all the volunteers for braving the very wet weather to plant all these wonderful trees, which I am sure will thrive and be enjoyed by many for generations.”