Did you know that volunteers from Wellingborough Eco Group’s Nature Rangers with North Northamptonshire Council, planted over three thousand trees in Wellingborough over the last two years? Well, we are going to be planting more trees this winter too, do join us!
After successful planting sessions in December 2023 (as featured on our Advent Calendar, see also video below and the header image) and again last March 2024, we returned to Kilborn park, and to two other locations, to plant lots more trees last year!
This winter planting season starts in November, returning to locations that we have previously planted trees to replace the ones that have failed, and to a new location. We will have tea and coffee available, plus hand washing facilities. Meet at our Tree Planting Stations from 10am.
We will be planting whips again with North Northamptonshire Council and everything will be fully funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We plan to plant a mixture of native woodland species.
We have selected the following three-four sites for planting and are looking to plant the trees in November and the New Year on the third Saturday of each month, please join us at our planting trees events from 10am till 1pm on the following dates:
- Saturday 15th November – Kilborn Park to add tree (see red area on map below) and to replace some of the trees that unfortunately haven’t made it.
- Saturday 17th January – Croyland Park over the Kingsway to again replace any trees that haven’t made it.
- Saturday 21st February – Swanspool Gardens to plant a native hedge behind Swanspool Pavilion.
- And provisionally Saturday 21st March – Castlefield’s Park Tiny Forest and Saxby Crescent end, re-planting here again.
Come and plant a tree – The trees will include a mixture of species, that will be suitable for the site and complement the trees we have already planted. We have a mixture of the following species to choose from:
| Pedunculate Oak |
| Sessile Oak |
| Hazel |
| Field Maple |
| Hornbeam |
| Wild Cherry |
| Bird Cherry |
| Alder |
| Silver Birch |
| Crab Apple |
| Small-leaved Lime |
| Wild Service |
| Beech |
| Sweet Chestnut |
| Downy Birch |
| Holly |
| Hawthorn |
| Guelder Rose |
| Dogwood |
| Wild Pear |
| Rowan |
| Blackthorn |
| Spindle |
| Dog Rose |
| Wayfaring Tree |
On the day we will have 20 tree planting spades to bring along and also the biodegradable tree guards and bamboo canes too. If any volunteers could bring their own spades again that would be helpful in case we run out. All welcome, bring your spades if you can and join in from 10am!
Tree Planting 2022/3
After a successful planting session of 500 trees in December 2022 (see video and header picture) we are returned to Kilborn Park in Wellingborough (see map) last March and this time we planted 700 more trees! We had tea and coffee available, plus hand washing facilities. We met at our Tree Planting Station on the corner of Kilborn Road.
Thanks to an amazing young lady called Fiona, we had trees to plant and an area to plant them in. She ordered the trees on behalf of Wellingborough Eco Group and organised this with the support of North Northamptonshire Council. The trees were donated by the Woodland Trust and were delivered to her, ready for Sunday. Thank you for the trees Woodland Trust, thank you for your support North Northamptonshire Council and thank you Fiona!
Tree Planting 2024
We planted whips again with North Northamptonshire Council and this time everything was funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We planted a mixture of native woodland species. We originally selected the following three sites for planting (maps below with planting areas highlighted in red):
We started to plant the trees in January on the third Saturday of each month from 10am till 1pm on the following dates. We also planted a tiny forest in Castlefields Park:
- Kilborn Park (500 trees) – Saturday 18th January
- Gainsborough Drive (300 trees) – Saturday 15th February
- Castlefields Park Tiny Forest (750 trees) – Thursday 13th and Friday 14th March
- Brickhill Road (200 trees) – Saturday 15th March
Tomorrow’s Forrest
We planted a new Tiny Forest (or sometimes called a Micro Wood) in Castlefields Park on 13th and 14th March 2024. We and North Northamptonshire Council partnered with ‘Tomorrows Forests,’ who assisted us with the ground preparations, fence installation and with local schools and organisations who helped with the tree planting. Find out more on our Tomorrow’s Forest page.
Nature Rangers
Nature Rangers is a group is that a simple sharing ‘what you do and what we do together’ or ‘what you see’ group, that focuses nature, and a group that has regular activities to give wildlife a helping hand. We have a FREE RANGE every other Monday (find out more by clicking the links)
The group also wants your saplings as part of the More Trees Now campaign, the trees that have self set in random places where they either aren’t wanted or stand no chance of growing. Could you be a Nature Ranger Sapling Saver? Sarah can!
Introducing the Dutch campaign Meer Bomen Nu (“more trees now”) they collect young trees and shrubs in nature areas and parks to give them away for free to civilians and farmers who want to plant them. With thousands of volunteers, they collect birches where they overgrow the heather, they collect seedlings that are too close to a path, young shrubs that need to make way for buildings, or they collect a ecologically responsible amounts of seedlings in places where they grow in abundance. They only harvest with permission of the forester or landowner.
Let’s save saplings and make trees available for everyone to plant!
This campaign has now come the the UK and Ireland, and we at Wellingborough Eco Group are joining in with them. The winter months from November to March are perfect for transplanting trees, because they are asleep. If you have spare or unwanted saplings, please share them with us at ECO HUB or at our Community Allotment, where we have been doing this for five years on a smaller scale, many of which have now been transplanted from our tree nursery to other locations in and around Wellingborough.
Last two winters Meer Bomen Nu transplanted 850.000 seedlings from knee- to man height and 80% survived. So far 2000 volunteers have helped with harvesting the trees which ended up in gardens, fields and farms of more than 800 unique civilians and farmers. The coming winter season they aim to reach the goal of two million transplanted trees. As last year the subscription for ‘ one million free trees ‘ sold out in less than 4 days, they are very optimistic on surpassing the 2 million goal coming winter.
If you have spare saplings or would like to have a free tree(s) or want to know more details about our tree planting morning, please message us: