Despite far from ideal conditions, Guernsey Trees for Life made a start to a substantial project – one envisioned to end with the planting of 600 trees and bushes to surround a future playground and outdoor learning area.
‘Ideally this would’ve all been properly rotavated before we came, but because of the weather it’s looking more like trench warfare,’ said Andy McCutcheon, technical officer for Guernsey Trees for Life.
The charity planted eight different species of tree, ranging from holly to crab apple, and all of which are island natives. As an organisation, it aims to plant trees around the island to improve its biodiversity – an aim it has particularly redoubled its efforts towards in the wake of Storm Goretti.
‘Of course, the storm destroyed a lot of trees, and we have a lot of disease on the island too, so this was a great opportunity for us to get planting,’ said Colin Dodd, who sits on the charity’s committee.
‘This is also my parish, so when we heard that Styx was looking to start this project, I was keen to get involved.’
The project was initiated by Styx Community Centre as part of a larger initiative to transform its field into a new playground with some additional outdoor learning facilities. The tree-planting marks an early step in the project, and it is hoped it will ultimately serve as a natural screen around the area.
‘This is a major project for us, and this is really phase one,’ said Styx Centre chairwoman Sue Noyon.
‘We get about 2,000 users every week during term time and we’re really hoping to increase parking and reduce the traffic in the lanes around here.’
Currently, the centre is accessed from the narrow, granite-walled Rue de Longfrie, while the new development will enable it to be accessed from the main road, with parking made reachable from La Route du Longfrie between St Peter’s Post Office and the Longfrie Inn. Its thousands of weekly visitors come for a range of reasons, from bringing their children to the playground to participating in artistic and active clubs.
‘Styx is a non-profit, and as a charitable organisation, we like to help other charitable organisations,’ said Mr Dodd.
‘It’s great to be giving something back, and also helping with the island’s biodiversity.’
The planting session was well-attended, with small teams of volunteers from Julius Baer, J P Morgan and the Old Government House Hotel all participating, as well as teams from Trees for Life and Styx.
‘We’re lucky to have so many volunteers who help us out,’ said Mr Dodd.
‘It’s also just a great thing for everyone to do to get outside and do something different. A lot of people aren’t outdoors much at all, and they certainly aren’t planting trees.’
