Alderney and Guernsey volunteers join forces
CONSERVATION volunteers from across the Bailiwick joined forces to mark Alderney's annual Arbor Day.
Traditionally Arbor Day is when the island community comes together to replenish the native tree stock.
Over the past six years more than 10,000 native deciduous trees such as oak, birch, hazel, ash and blackthorn have been planted on Alderney and this year attention turned to planting trees to form a natural screen for Longis Pond, which lies within the Alderney Wildlife Trust nature reserve.
Wildlife regularly seen at Longis includes shoveller ducks, coots, snipe, water rail, little grebes and little egrets.
Volunteers, including eight from Guernsey Conservation Volunteers, took part in the event over the weekend.
Alderney Wildlife Trust conservation officer Robert Manzano Rubio said: 'We focused this year on planting 200 elder trees, kindly donated by a local resident.
'Elder is a species native to Alderney and the aim was to reinforce a natural screen that exists already on the fringe of Longis Pond. The hedge will provide shelter and protection for the pond and its wildlife.
'Longis Pond is probably the most important terrestrial habitat that we have here in Alderney.'
Angela Salmon, group organiser for Guernsey Conservation Volunteers, brought people over for the whole weekend and she explained the appeal of the visit for them. The weekend also included planting trees in the Community Woodland and a treasure hunt for children.
