At the start of planting a mix of nearly 2,500 UK native tree varieties, the school children were joined by staff from the County Council’s Countryside Service, the New Forest Agricultural Show Society, Forestry England and the New Forest National Park Authority. In planting, they used a Japanese method - ‘Miyawaki’ - which encourages the plants to grow up to ten times faster than traditional approaches.
Councillor Kirsty North, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Universal Services, said: “I want to thank local pupils, teaching staff and volunteers for getting behind this fantastic initiative in Brockenhurst. The children have been learning about the environmental value of trees, and even helped to design the woodland which will be planted over several plots in leaf formations. This is a great example of the work led by our Forest Partnership which is bringing people together to plant more trees in Hampshire and, in this case, creating a leafy legacy to mark His Majesty’s Coronation.”
Denis Dooley, Chief Executive of the New Forest Agricultural Show Society, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Hampshire Forest Partnership on this fantastic project. The mini forests will be a showcase for different native tree species and create a diverse habitat for wildflowers, other plants and wildlife. Once completed, the project will form an immersive, educational and wellbeing focused space that will be a real asset to New Park and the wider community. We look forward to welcoming more local schools and the New Forest community to our planting days and to watching the trees flourish in the years to come!”
Councillor Zoe Huggins, the County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate Change added: “With their carbon absorbing, oxygen producing qualities, trees are one of the most effective ways to improve air quality and combat the climate emergency - a mature tree can absorb over 48 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.”
Miyawaki applies the principle of planting the type of trees that would normally grow naturally in a specific area – that is without human interference. The seedlings are planted at very high densities which replicates the regeneration process that occurs in a natural forest when a clearing in the canopy opens up due to a larger tree falling. The saplings grow very fast to compete for the light and then natural selection will favour the fastest growing individuals and act to thin out the trees. The result is a densely packed pioneer forest that grows in 20 to 30 years instead of taking 150 to 200 years.
The Hampshire Forest Partnership has been working with the New Forest Agricultural Show Society to identify areas that will benefit from having more trees - helping to provide shelter for wildlife. Last year, volunteers planted dozens of oak trees at the New Park site.
In 2023, Hampshire County Council secured £100,000 funding for the project from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Nature for Climate Fund and Coronation Living Heritage Fund.
Groups or communities interested in planting a mini forest or orchard can contact the Hampshire Forest Partnership by emailing: [email protected] and find out more information on the Hampshire Forest Partnership webpages.
The Forest Partnership’s Coronation fund is open for projects that can be planted by March 2025.