Thorncombe Street is a beautiful Hamlet (confusingly!) close to Guildford. Protect Earth were brought on board to help plant several shelterbelts, as well as the beginnings of a new woodland and a vastly improved ancient woodland.
This was a bit of an arduous task, as the woodland had to be stripped of invasive Cherry Laurel. You’ve likely seen this, it’s (unfortunately) used a lot in hedgerows. The primary issue with Cherry Laurel is that it’s just too bloody good at growing! It outpaces almost all other native species planted alongside it, and steals all the nutrients, leading to a monoculture. That is, as you might imagine, working entirely against what we’re trying to do, and that is to reintroduce rich and vibrant ecosystems. So, out with the loppers!
After cutting a swathe through them, we were then able to plant some local variants of trees, ensuring a much wider variety in the immediate vicinity of the planting area. By creating these areas of diversity, it means that all manner of little critters and beasties are able to make their homes in and amongst the trees.