We’re planting 10,000 native timber. And we’re placing them in spots chosen by our prospects; native colleges, charities, group organisations – all with inexperienced house to spare.
We’re sending timber to nearly 600 teams who had been eager to get entangled. The Octopus tree crew is venturing out to fulfill 15 of them, with the assistance of former Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins and Jess French, host of CBeebies’ Minibeast Journey.
Regulate this tree ‘log’. We’ll replace it each time we get extra timber within the floor.
So, the place are we off to?
Sarisbury Toddler College, 19 March
Our tree planting efforts kicked off in Southampton, the place Octopus gross sales wizard Kelly and wet-behind-the-ears tree guru Tim planted a sensory mini-woodland with Minibeast Adventures’ Jess French. The varsity’s particular tree bundle is made up of aspen (with leaves that’ll sooner or later rustle within the wind so superbly they nearly appear to sing); vibrant, blossoming timber like wild cherry, crabapple and rowan (with fiery pink leaves); and even nice-smelling timber like juniper and lime.
Leighton Main College, 2 April
Subsequent, tree whisperer Tim and mini-beast maestro Jess headed to Peterborough to plant a hedgerow of fifty native beech and hawthorn timber. We hope at the present time of hands-dirty enjoyable kicks off a brand new forest faculty programme for Leighton!
Colcot Main College, 2 April
At this time, the OG Octopus tree crew – Chris Collins and Maddie from Octopus, reunited to plant timber in Barry, South Wales. The varsity’s new Meadow Membership got here out in full drive to plant a brand new sensory woodland on the varsity’s grounds. Finally they hope to broaden this right into a hedge to assist shelter the varsity from a close-by street!
Walsall Society for the Blind, 5 April
Subsequent, the good Octopus Tree Planting present rolled into Walsall to plant a sensory backyard with the Walsall Society For The Blind.
Tim Troy, Octopus Power’s very personal Tree Whisperer, was the ringmaster, with the assistance of gardener extraordinaire and all-round good egg Chris Collins, previously the Blue Peter gardener. We had been so comfortable to be joined by Walsall Deputy Mayor Paul Bott, who gave us and a raft of day-centre regulars, employees and volunteers a hand whereas we planted.
The wonderful Chris Collins has fastidiously curated a bundle of timber that type a sensory mini-woodland – primarily, timber that may be loved by way of a wide range of senses, permitting the Centre’s visually impaired members to benefit from the odor, sound, and really feel of the timber.
The Centre is on a major street simply previous the bus station in Walsall. Planting timber is totally essential in city areas filled with smog-causing visitors. That’s the place they will have essentially the most impression in saving carbon from being absorbed into the environment, with every tree saving on common 2kg of carbon each single 12 months.
Chris and the WSFTB crew had a unbelievable time digging and planting the longer term sensory mini-forest, with greater than a slice of good-natured banter.
Our fave, Chris, getting caught in. WSFTB’s regulars got here alongside to assist plant!
Subsequent up – a tree planting extravaganza within the Northeast, visiting three unbelievable tasks from Sunderland to Middlesbrough. Our fab author Eugene blogs concerning the day…
Associates of Backhouse Park
On Friday 5 April, the good Octopus Tree-Planting Present packed up its Huge High in Walsall within the West Midlands and made its solution to the Northeast. With the automobile absolutely filled with instruments, mulch and compost Chris ‘Blue Peter’ Collins and I headed in the direction of an inner-city park in Sunderland.
We had a tryst organized with the Associates of Backhouse Park. You would possibly suppose it seems like we had been on our solution to a jazz efficiency. However you’d be fairly improper. Though I do have a beard and was sporting a black polo-neck, now I come to think about it. No, Associates of Backhouse (and Barley Mow) Park is a conservation group of volunteers headed up by the inspirational Mary Todner. It additionally occurs to be fairly probably the best-prepared group of tree planters I – and extra relevantly – Chris had ever seen.
Backhouse Park is a wooded gorge that could be a pure arboretum near town centre. A V-shaped valley with paths snaking round its sharp inclines, the land beforehand belonged to native worthies, the Quaker household Backhouse. Edward Backhouse (1808–1879) was a dedicated Liberal, philanthropist and author. He was additionally one of many founders of native newspaper the Sunderland Echo. Being Quakers and by definition good eggs, the household gave the land to town as a present, to be preserved in perpetuity as a park.
This is the Associates of Backhouse crew (spot Eric the pug!)…
Sadly, lately, the land has been uncared for, with tree planting a hit-and-miss affair. Backhouse Park now wants a superb dose of affection to get again to profitable methods. We acquired issues began with a 50 tree mini-woodland, filled with native broadleaf saplings from willows to downy birches perfect for planting in moist soil.
However with Mary and her crew of dedicated volunteers on the case, I’ve little doubt that they’ll flip the place round. We noticed such unbridled enthusiasm, even from Eric the pug who was guarding our wheelbarrow.
With over a dozen volunteers from the very younger – “Can we come and watch it develop?” – to the extra gnarled woodsmen, the social cohesion that exists when you’re outdoors and getting your fingers soiled with nature, is actually an ideal leveller that brings folks collectively.
A few of the superior planters at Backhouse Park…
Backhouse was the primary on our day journey to the Northeast. The following cease was just a little allotment – however with large concepts…
Simply Let Your Soul Develop
After a slight magical thriller tour round Sunderland we discovered Jennie Franks and her great reclamation challenge. This little slice of paradise-to-be-regained was born out of Jennie being provided a bit of wasteland, and Jennie has wrought miracles with it. Jennie, alongside along with her gang, has made a surprising paradigm that makes use of city backyard, allotment and eco-space. And, crucially, the challenge makes use of the information of native allotment members to show budding younger horticulturalists the way in which to go. So it was a delight to have the ability to put one thing again, simply because the house itself does to the group.
The Sunderland Echo arrived and snapped away at our volunteers for the day as we planted some fruit timber. Chris additionally distributed smart recommendation on how greatest to display the street with a hedgerow. The plot is true subsequent to a busy street so the extra screening will actually assist cut back the noise and air pollution.
After we spent a great deal of time planting and speaking to the volunteers, Jennie provided Chris and me a spot of lunch – a merely very good home made veg chilli, which actually warmed our cockles on what was turning out to be a nippy spring day in Sunderland.
After lunch, it was again within the automobile and off to our final cease of the day – Middlesbrough…
St Thomas Extra RC College, Middlesbrough
Simply throughout the street from The James Prepare dinner College Hospital (the stressed captain is related to Witby, simply down the coast, and extra earth-shatteringly, my mum labored there 30 years in the past) is St Thomas Extra RC College. We met Alison who created the SHINE programme with the varsity. It’s aimed toward serving to kids relate to nature by way of themselves. So in the event that they need to really feel sturdy, they plant an oak tree. In the event that they need to specific love, then they go for an apple tree. And once they need to conker their enemies, then a horse chestnut tree is simply the ticket.
The plan was to create, with our sensory timber (from the ‘singing’ to the nice-smelling to the pink-blossoming varieties), just a little little bit of a haven for the kids to spend time in. They’re super-fortunate in that they’ve a beautiful little bit of land wherein to create this. And it was actually spectacular to see what they’ve been doing with the house already. Correct little gardeners.
They’ve an ideal programme of rising and consuming their very own produce. Corn was an a-maize-ing hit final 12 months. Terry, one of many faculty governors, together with the headteacher Jane Apolloni, confirmed us round their raised beds and polythene tunnel the place the child crops are being nursed. There are additionally chickens which are being taken care of by one of many mother and father for a couple of days.
Our tree-planting crew had been members of the gardening membership, and together with three volunteers, we made quick shrift of the planting of their timber.
The go to was topped off properly by BBC Tees sending one among their reporters down to talk to Chris, the varsity and Alison about how vital it’s to plant timber and why the work Octopus is doing is so vital. Right here’s how they lined our go to to the varsity – hear from 56:45 minutes!
SHINE’s wonderful planters in addition to some mother or father volunteers put together for a infamous Chris Collins selfie
In simply seven hours, we visited three wholly totally different tasks and met three passionate, dynamic girls who’re driving actual optimistic change for his or her native communities. It’s a privilege for Octopus to be supporting their imaginative and prescient.
Huncote Hornets, 13 April
On a sunny, but nippy, Saturday morning Staff Tree from Octopus scrambled all the way down to the BMX monitor of the mighty Huncote Hornets to assist plant a 50-strong hedgerow on the embankment of the race monitor. This may, in time, defend the monitor from the weather, and supply an ideal pure habitat for critters and such.
Jan Freakly is the true hero right here, having singlehandedly arrange the membership from scratch, offering a superb alternative for youths to take their BMXing abilities to the following degree.
With assist from the Octopus Leicester Ops crew, we made mild work of the dry floor, digging holes for the hedgerow and planting it with loads of compost.
Information of our endeavours had reached the realm earlier than we did, so the morning was rounded off properly when BBC Radio Leicester got here down and did a dwell broadcast of the planting. This featured chats with our Chris and Jan.
The Scotland Tour, sixteenth April
Hawthorn Financial institution, Queensferry
Subsequent, the Octopus crew rumbled headed north of the border to go to two inspirational tasks. First, we met Fiona Chandler who, alongside along with her crew, has taken over a previously derelict backyard owned by Edinburgh Council after which set about elevating some funds to create a wonderful walled backyard. They wanted some timber to assist convey the backyard to life. They actually needed a sensory backyard as they felt that it’s important for bodily and psychological wellbeing to have the ability to contact and odor the crops
Although the climate was a bit damp, our spirits weren’t and seeing the progress of the backyard on the image boards was actually inspiring.
Final phrase goes to Fiona:
“We had an ideal morning with Chris and Ollie [our own Oliver Bumby, credit specialist in Leicester]. We planted six timber. Two (the junipers) have gone into planters till they attain a dimension after we can plant them within the backyard. The 2 oaks and aspen went right into a neighbouring, well-established park the place they will develop to their full potential!
“We had a crew of planters with their spades and watering can, composting bark and wooden shavings to feed the stunning timber Octopus Power gave us. Thanks so very a lot on your reward of those timber. We are going to hold you posted on their progress.”
Robin Home, Youngsters’s Hospices Throughout Scotland (CHAS), Dumbartonshire
From underneath the shadow of the Forth Bridge, we had a two-hour drive throughout Scotland’s central belt to the sting of Loch Lomond, the place we arrived at Robin Home in Balloch. It’s a supercool Scandinavian-style property that appears prefer it was featured on Grand Designs, and comes replete with a hydro-pool, an artwork room and a den, and a set of landscaped gardens.
The gardens are underneath the care of Maggie Brown who works alongside devoted volunteers. She tells us that they’ve various kinds of gardens all designed to supply a therapeutic surroundings as households actually recognize the worth and the consolation of being outdoors, having fun with the restorative energy that nature brings.
Once more, the climate was not our pal however this didn’t cease us from planting their sensory tree pack. There was such a superb crowd out serving to us, made even sweeter by the wonderful home made Octopus cake. Such a beautiful contact!
The day right here was marked with laughter and with love, and it introduced the sunshine into our lives – even when the climate didn’t!
Alexander Devine Hospice, Maidenhead 17 April
All of it went south for Challenge Tree after that – however in a great way! It was off to Berkshire to proceed our tree-planting tour (simply not far away from Legoland) to a brand new kids’s hospice that has solely been open for 18 months or so. Goal-built to supply care for many who go to and their households, it comes with stunning gardens designed so that everybody can take pleasure in spending time both close to the grand, picket chair the place you may relaxation peacefully or among the many lego butterflies and bugs which are dotted about.
On to the planting and the bottom had been splendidly ready by Claire Rhodes and her crew (no imply feat given the sunny, dry climate).
Dr Jess French joined us and purchased along with her a few of her “mini-beasts” – these had been an ideal addition to the household day on the hospice. She had a millipede and numerous stick and leaf bugs. The kids liked them. A few of the grown-ups, much less so!
Learn how the Windsor Observer lined the day.
Routeways, Plymouth 18 April
Our busy week of travelling got here to a gloriously sunny finish in Plymouth, house of Routeways who look to make sure that drawback doesn’t change into a barrier for kids, younger folks and households. The crew right here needed a hedgerow to enhance the general look of its massive outside space and educate the kids concerning the seasons and crops. That they had a wildlife dipping pond and actually needed a hedgerow to encompass it as it might present a house to greater than 100 totally different species.
The centre is run by Mark Collings, Routeways’ chief govt on the Devon Port web site, and he was readily available to assist our younger crew of keen volunteers assist get the 50-sapling hedgerow off to the absolute best begin.
Try our special occasion down in Plymouth:
Hornsea Neighborhood Main, 26 April
On Friday 26 April, the seaside was calling out to us, so we packed up the Octopus Treemobile with shovels, spades and trowels and headed off from Leicester. I headed over within the spring sunshine to Grantham to choose up the incomparable Dr Jess French, my partner-in-vine, and we headed north. We crossed a significant merchandise off our spade-and-bucket record by driving throughout the Humber Bridge, the world’s longest street suspension bridge when it opened to visitors in 1981. Sadly, its fortunes since then have adopted these of Hully Metropolis and it now languishes at tenth, having been overtaken by the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in 1998…
Onwards we sped, till we arrived at Hornsea, a small seaside resort 15 miles or so north of Hull.
We went straight to Hornsea Neighborhood Main College, the place we met Michelle Simmonite, the deputy head, who gave us a heat and effusive welcome. After an extended journey within the automobile, we had been ravenous, so Michelle directed us to Harper’s Fish ‘N’ Chips throughout the street, the very best on the town, Michelle assured us.
Sitting within the solar consuming our chips (Jess is vegetarian so I adopted swimsuit out of politeness), and listening to the seagulls cawing as they circled overhead, I mirrored on the truth that I’ve the very best job on the earth. Most likely.
Sated, it was time to get to work. We had been proven the realm the place they needed to create a tree-lined pathway by way of to an enthralling forest backyard. The caretaker very kindly dug holes for us to plant our timber. They picked out quite a lot of pupils from totally different lessons who had been brimming with pleasure at assembly Jess “off that CBeebies”. One little boy shyly stated, “Ee, you’re rather a lot taller than I assumed you’d be”! She is fairly tall, to be truthful.
She handed out her Minibeast books like they had been sweets, after which we acquired planting. The varsity had plumped for sensory timber, so we planted oaks, limes, poplars, junipers, cherries, aspen and crab-apple timber.
The ceremony took on a religious dimension after we had been joined by the native retired vicar who spoke movingly about what these timber will convey the group and the way they’ll endure lengthy after he has handed, taking root within the coronary heart of the group. He was very grateful to Octopus Power for what he known as “this valuable reward”.
We had volunteers alongside serving to from HUGS – Hornsea City Gardeners. These included Jackie, a stalwart of the group who introduced vim and vigour, together with a superb dose of down-to-earth Yorkshire friendliness.
So a grand day by the seaside, with chips, cherry timber and cheerfulness. What extra may a person ask for?
Darton Main College, tenth Might
The Nice Octopus Tree Roadshow is heading for its last sell-out trio of gigs. First up, the Tree-mobile headed north to God’s personal county, Yorkshire, and swooped down into the sloping valleys upon the good-looking city of Barnsley.
We had been heading for the spectacular Darton Main College, a contemporary glass-and-steel complicated on the leafy forehead of a hill overlooking the valley. Abruptly, the redoubtable Chris Collins remembered he had been right here earlier than, three years in the past to speak to the varsity concerning the energy of gardening, so we knew we had been on to a winner with such an engaged faculty. Plus, extra pressingly and simply as usefully, he knew the place to park. At all times a helpful ace to have up the sleeve on this tour, as we have now learnt to our price.
We met up with Fiona O’Brien, a challenge supervisor for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, who had chosen for the varsity to obtain the timber. They had been 12 beautiful saplings to develop right into a sensory woodland – together with oaks, aspens, cherries and junipers. The varsity finally desires to plant them within the native park however over the summer season needed to take care of them of their playground. A retired former councillor, Linda Burgess, volunteered to be one other pair of fingers on deck, or reasonably, asphalt, and joined us for the planting. All that was lacking had been the kids. Fortunately, Mrs Beth Smith had co-opted the College’s Eco Council to assist us out.
Right here all of them are…
Off we trotted to the playground the place Fiona had provided pots for the timber to go in. They plan on adorning these pots over the following few weeks, so they need to convey a splash of color in addition to a touch of nature.
Chris helpfully supplied recommendation on how greatest to plant the timber after which all of us set about tackling them with two kids every filling the pots (solely to the highest of the roots) as Chris had directed. As soon as they’d some plant meals (or “bacon and eggs” as Shaun the Barnsley Chronicle photographer who got here all the way down to seize the day put it), they had been all able to be watered.
Mrs Smith informed us that she had managed to safe the donation of a hose to the varsity, so the timber got a suitably respectable drench to set them on their method. After which we had been on ours, barely unhappy that we solely had two extra gigs left to play within the 2019 tour.
Penryn Faculty, Cornwall, 14 Might
Subsequent, we headed out west for our penultimate tree-planting extravaganza. Approach out west, in truth, to Penryn in Cornwall! In one other first, it was our premier gig at a secondary faculty.
Carey Kaack is the inspirational trainer who heads up the Atmosphere Council inside the faculty, with 20 college students all prepared to be taught and assist plant the lime, oak, cherry and juniper timber on the superbly manicured garden on the entrance of the faculty.
With Chris readily available to advise, he was capable of work with the groundkeeping employees on the school within the type of John (49 years of labor behind him and as a result of retire in the summertime), Alex and Robyn. We marked out the place the timber had been to be planted, and with a trailerful of spades, forks, compost and feed we had been able to get planting.
Chris gathered the group round and with a little bit of hefty spadework, we managed to get the primary gap dug. Tree duly planted, after which we requested the scholars to separate into teams, decide a tree up after which go and plant.
With a little bit of assist, as the bottom was stony in locations, all 12 timber had been efficiently rooted into their new properties, with stern directions from Chris to produce them with loads of water over the summer season months.
The session wouldn’t be full with no hearty spherical of fluffy Octopus finger puppets for the entire crew – beloved by college students, academics and groundkeepers alike!
Then with the solar and sea air on our faces, we trundled again down the hill to catch our practice again east…
Dwelling of Consolation Nursing Dwelling, Southsea, 17 Might
Our final hurrah, and we ended the place we began many weeks in the past, on the south coast. Then it was Southampton, on 2 April; this time it was close to neighbours, and previous rivals, Portsmouth the place we had been doing two extra-special tree plantings, and once more, a sequence of ‘firsts’ for this tour. Our first indoor tree planting and our first MP.
The Treemobile got here absolutely loaded with Octopus photographer Lisa Scott, right here to take footage of the occasions, and Esme Anderson who works in our Operations crew. She requested if she may convey her harp to serenade us for the tree-planting ceremonies. We didn’t need to string her alongside (sorry) so we instantly stated, “What a superb thought!” The Treemobile thus had pear timber, no partridges, spades, trowels, a fluffy octopus and, um, a harp.
We had the chance to be a part of the Vote 100 celebrations, which is a programme of occasions and celebrations marking 100 years since Parliament handed a legislation that allowed some girls, and all males, to vote for the primary time – click on click on right here to learn extra. Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan went one step additional and smashed it out of the park together with his ‘Vote 100, Plant 100’ marketing campaign. The marketing campaign has sought each to lift consciousness of the centenary and to convey collectively totally different facets of the area people united by one purpose, that of democratic engagement. It was humbling and an honour for Octopus Power to be a part of this unbelievable programme.
At this time was a double header so we parked up outdoors The Dwelling of Consolation Charitable Nursing Dwelling to plant a pear tree. We did this within the consolation of the eating room because it was a bit chilly outdoors. This tree was going to enter a pot, to then be transferred to one among their newly ready flower beds within the fullness of time.
Eileen, one of many residents, was keen to assist us plant our timber and had nice enjoyable in enjoying with the Octopus finger puppets. Musical accompaniment got here from Esme who supplied a planting soundtrack with one among her personal compositions on the harp.
Joanne, who runs the care house, was telling me that it was based within the Eighteen Nineties with a view to present a care house for ladies solely so it appeared solely becoming that one of many 100 timber ought to be planted right here in recognition of the great achievements of Emmeline Pankhurst and her doughty band of suffragettes.
As nice believers in variety and equality at Octopus, we felt honoured and privileged to be a part of Stephen’s great initiative, and I’ll confess to feeling just a little choked on the significance of the occasion.
We then moved on to Newbridge Junior College, which occurred to be the varsity that Stephen went to some years again. Right here we met the headteacher, Mrs Anna Webb, and gathered across the pond together with members of the varsity’s Atmosphere Council who had been super-excited to inform us all concerning the tadpoles they’d of their spectacular pond.
With some vibrant pots wherein to plant the timber, we had been all set to go. With some additional assist from different academics and the native belief, we completed off our final tree planting with a bittersweet sense that we had been saying farewell to what has been a tremendous and provoking tree rollercoaster tour the size and breadth of the nation
