Wildlife for Wigton plant 425 trees on Speet Gill for habitat

Helpers young and old assisted Wildlife for Wigton plant the trees along the banks of Speet Gill.

Discussing the day, Councillor Nick Robson said: “It was a really successful day. We had 16 people down there, half of which were kids. The section of Speet Gill where we planted will join onto an existing woodland area.

“What we are doing is increasing the walkway to about a mile in length. We’ve created an extra 150 metres of habitat for animals along there and it’s good for mitigation as well. Although it was blustery we were sheltered and the sun did come out. Our friends from the Methodist Church arrived with refreshments and it was a nice, community get together.”

One of the parents, Jenny Cram said: “I was keen to get involved as I felt it delivered a really important message. It was good to be part of a friendly community of people. Creating green spaces to improve physical and mental health felt the right thing to do after two national lockdowns. I felt it gave our children a practical approach to tackling our climate problems.”

A couple of the children also spoke about how much they enjoyed their day. Oscar Massey, age 13, said: "Planting trees with Nick and the team is great. It protects the banks from flooding and helps reduce climate change. Without trees we wouldn't be able to breathe at all."

Oscar’s sister, 8-year-old Delilah, spoke about why she wanted to help out. She said: "One, it's good for the planet. It’s also a good way to make new friends. It's sometimes amazing what you can find underneath the soil!"

Cllr Robson is also the leader of Trees for Wigton, Wildlife for Wigton’s sister group.

Trees for Wigton are hoping to plant a total of 500 trees along Speet Gill. Nick added that the trees would act as a significant force against the frequent floods that Wigton faces, something that affects the area regularly.

He said: "Whatever we can do to stop flooding will be a positive thing."