At a recent Council meeting, the Parish Council of Dogmersfield made a historic commitment to undertake a programme of tree planting in the parish. This commitment came about after a group of local residents suggested the scheme as to way to maintain the rural nature of the parish, to contribute to national efforts to combat climate change and to compensate the local environment where significant trees have been removed in recent years to facilitate house building.
As part of the commitment, the Parish Council have signed up to the National Tree Charter and agreed to plant at least one tree per household in the parish every year for the next 5 years. This programme has been further complimented by a generous grant from Hampshire County Councillor, David Simpson who has promised to match the funding for planting in year one so that double the number of trees can be planted.
The National Tree Charter sets out 10 principles which Councils should aim to support and which include the need to sustain landscapes rich in wildlife, plant for the future and to protect trees and woods and make them accessible to all. The Dogmersfield residents hope to plant a variety of indigenous trees which will be supplied from the Woodland Trust who have advised the Council on appropriate trees for the area. This is likely to include English Oaks, Beech, Blackthorn, Hawthorn and Elder.
The Council is now looking for interested landowners within the Dogmersfield Parish who have land available where trees can be planted. Any landowner within the Parish who can accommodate at least 10 trees can contact the clerk (clerk@dogmersfield-pc.gov.uk) or Councillor Fillis (anne@dogmersfield-pc.gov.uk) who will be happy to discuss the project further with them. Landowners will be able to work with the Council to choose the trees that are most appropriate in their setting and the Council will fund and plant the trees that are chosen.
It is hoped that this programme of planting can help to maintain and retain the rural nature of the parish and to provide an environment that sustains wildlife and protects natural spaces for generations to come.