ILMINSTER Tree Project is on the lookout for local people who may have a green new year’s resolution to volunteer with them this planting season.
The project was launched by Green Ilminster in 2019, and it aims to plant around 7,000 trees in the Ilminster area – one for every person living in the town and its surrounding villages.
Over 2,000 trees have been planted by the project’s volunteers so far, and the group are now seeking volunteers to help plant their trees, landowners who can provide some land for them to use, and financial donations.
Peter Lansdown, who helps coordinate the project’s volunteers, said their work has been made more challenging by the pandemic, but he is expecting the project to get underway once more this month.
Once the planting season ends in March, the group will change its focus to maintaining the trees they have planted until they can start planting once more in around November.
He said: “We have been running for two planting seasons.
“We were hit by Covid last year, which made it very difficult.
“We’re going to kick off in a big way again in January.
“As the tree-planting season fades away, we’ll go into maintenance."
On New Year’s Day, Peter posted in an Ilminster Facebook group to encourage local people to sign up and help plant trees with 'good company and good food'.
He says the response has been good, but there is always room for more volunteers.
While people who are skilled with a spade are always welcome, volunteers who can provide entertainment or other resources are just as valuable.
“We want a variety of skills,” he said.
“It’s good to be fun. I could do with musicians or cooks who can help.
“What we need more than anything is a benevolent landowner who can give us some land.”
Most of the project’s trees are provided by the Woodland Trust or the Forestry Commission, and they have also received some from South Somerset District Council and Ilminster Town Council.
They also buy some of their own trees, and they have their own nursery containing trees that are around two years old to be planted around the town in the future.
Green Ilminster is also preparing to launch its Share and Repair project later this month.
The sustainability project has secured premises on Silver Street, and it is currently seeking volunteers and donations to help cover the first six months’ worth of operating costs.
Ilminster Share and Repair has been supported by Phil Burton, the mayor of Ilminster.
You can contact the Ilminster Tree Project by emailing greenilminster@btinternet.com.
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