Guernsey Press

Arbor Day helps to replenish island’s plant stocks

AROUND 30 volunteers turned out to help with planting for Arbor Day in Alderney.

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Volunteers, led by the Alderney Wildlife Trust, plant a hedge across farmland to create a wildlife corridor.

It is the restoration of a tradition that began in the 1930s to replenish the island’s tree stocks.

Led by the Alderney Wildlife Trust, volunteers planted a hedge to create a wildlife corridor across farmland.

AWT manager Roland Gauvain explained that Alderney was an island with a wealth of interesting wildlife habitats but was traditionally without many trees because they were used for firewood.

‘In the 1930s islanders decided that once a year they would get together and plant trees at this time of year and it was called Arbor Day. Ten to 12 years ago we picked up that tradition and since then we’ve planted more than 10,000 trees.’

This year’s Arbor Day saw hawthorn planted to deter cattle from eating it and hazel and crab apple for diversity. It was planted across the Blaye connecting two areas of woodland.