Plans to develop pasture woodland at the Archery Field Weston are well under way as children from the local St Mary’s Roman Catholic School planted 250 trees.
Cllr Malcolm Lees in 2009 at Archery Field
Aboricultural Officer for the Council, Mark Cassidy, helped lead the efforts that are part of the Council’s plans to plant a mixture of 1,000 native trees to develop a diverse wildlife haven out of an unused field that was scrubbing up naturally. The children will be set to see the development of this and the school plans to use the site as a learning resource well into the future.
Councillor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said, “This tree planting project is the latest that Bath & North East Somerset Council is leading to improve the quality of local environments across the area, including Weston. We want to get communities involved in creating neighbourhoods where they are proud to live and people are proving delighted at taking the lead with us on tree planting projects.”
Shay Brennan, Head Teacher at St. Mary’s, said, “Tree planting is a wonderfully practical activity for children who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of the planet. It was the perfect lesson and all the children were delighted to help this project.”
Councillor Colin Barrett (Conservative, Weston), a Governor at the school who oversees the St Mary’s School Council, said, “These are exactly the sort of projects that offer children the chance to expand their horizons and learn more about the world around them. Ultimately, it is this generation that will benefit from the trees once they are fully grown.”
The site is perfect for wildlife as has immediate connection to countryside beyond, has a southerly aspect, has a large swathe of grassland and a water course running through it, the trees and shrubs will help give it another dimension. The site will have wide grass paths and will be of huge interest to people in years to come.
Funding for the project has come from a £10,000 legacy left to the Council for the planting of trees.
