Plant a tree and watch it grow to help make Newport greener
The mayor of Newport is encouraging the townspeople to join in a 'plant a tree' campaign this autumn and replace the trees lost to housing developments in recent years.
The idea behind the project is to get children of all ages (and adults) interested in tree varieties and the natural world, while growing new saplings ready to be planted in the spring.
Seeds can easily be taken from many varieties of tree (like acorns from oaks or conkers from horse chestnuts) and grown into saplings before being transferred to Newport's green spaces.
Mayor and borough councillor Peter Scott said: "There are literally millions of tree seeds and berries out there now ready to be picked and planted up. My idea is that we all harvest a few and enjoy the pleasure of watching them grow.
"I have two sites identified: one for planting last year’s new trees in the autumn [Norbroom Park] and one for the spring where we will be planting a new woodland area [land off Strine Way, near the canal].
"This also helps with climate change.
"We have lost a lot of trees to development so this is a way of putting them back. We have to be sensible where we plant the larger species such as oak, sycamore and horse chestnut, but there is room for thousands of trees across the borough.
"I would prefer it if we have an excess that can be given to other areas.
"Anyone interested simply has to harvest the seed and plant up. The next few weeks are the optimum times for seeds and berries. Why not give it a go?"
The Royal Horticultural Society has advice for anyone hoping to grow saplings. Visit rhs.org.uk/ to learn more.
