Woodland Planting
Well managed trees and woodland are an asset to all of the community and are ideal environments in which to relax, walk or play.
Tree and woodland planting will take place throughout the Pennine Edge Forest, to create new woodlands, varying in scale from small corner plots suitable for a single tree, to larger community woodlands. All new woodlands will be closely linked to the local communities with open space and access for all.
Schools and Community Planting
Woodlands are ideal environments to use as an outdoor classroom for environmental education with schools or community groups. They provide the opportunity to be involved in the natural environment, seasons, cycles of growth and to look at a range of wildlife. Tree planting can link to many areas of the national curriculum, including healthy living and 5 a day, the science and English curricula. Some schools have a large enough area to plant a whole woodland, but other many only have room for a few trees, or dwarf species in pots. Pennine Edge Forest has been working with schools and communities throughout the area to promote planting in school grounds through schools arboreta planting in both Rochdale and Oldham.
Landowners
Pennine Edge Forest has worked with landowners throughout the area to promote woodland planting as a part of farm diversification. We have funded facilitated a number of seminars for landowners on the Forestry Commission’s England Woodland Grant scheme which includes funding for woodland creation .
Community Woodlands
Pennine Edge Forest has been working with local communities to assist in the design and planting of new woodlands, where appropriate. Community woodlands are designed for recreational use and have access in and around the woodland as a key priority. Density of planting is reduced, to include features to encourage the community to use the woodland for recreation, including rides, glades and open space possible with benches etc.
Example of community woodland planting.
Millers Brook, Heywood
Millers Brook is immediately to the east of Queens park and within the Roch Valley. Links from the park to the open space were poor, and the site consisted largely of rank grassland. In consultation with the local community, the decision was made to plant a small 1.5ha woodland on the site, and to dig out the existing small wetland area to improve the habitat. The tree planting took place in February and March, 2004, with the local schools and community helping to plant the trees. In February, 2005 additional planting took place with Rochdale and Bury Brownie Guides as a small extension to the woodland was planted to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the creation of the Brownie Guide movement.
Wildflower plugs were planted in and amongst the trees, creating immediate impact and interest. During summer, 2004, surfaced paths were created across the site creating a link from the new woodland into the rest of the path network and into Queen’s Park.
