Record tree planting at Smithills Estate

27 Mar 2019 11:01
Published by: Daniel Almond

OVER 6,000 trees have been planted by members of the public at the Woodland Trust’s Smithills Estate site in Horwich to aid the recovery and the rejuvenation of the local environment.


Thirty-one organised groups and a total of 850 members of the came over two weeks to plant young trees including oak, holly and rowan.


This coincided with the completion of the new Walker Fold Gateway Car Park. This allows access to the upper part of the estate, Winter Hill along with panoramic views of Greater Manchester.


During this year’s tree planting season, 28,650 trees will be planted in total at Smithills. These trees are also part of the Northern Forest project.


Russell Hedley from the Woodland Trust said: “I am so proud of everyone who came to Smithills to help plant this future woodland. Through wind and hail, the people of Horwich and Bolton have shown how important the local environment is to them. This woodland will provide extra food and resources for wild animals like badgers, pipistrelle bats and jays as well as oxygen, filtration and water catchment control for people.”


In the first week the Trust welcomed many groups. First up were the Olive School, Brownlow Fold Primary School and Devonshire Road School. Their sessions were run by the Trust’s partner organisation City of Trees.


Myerscough College brought their students on two days. Through sessions with them, they learnt new skills in conservation and environmental protection as they work towards a certificated qualification.


To mark the occasion of #forest100 a larger ceremonial tree was planted at the front of the car park.


Similar large trees were planted to commemorate notable locals such as Andrew Morley and John Collins Hanscomb who was born and raised opposite the new car park before becoming Mayor of Bolton twice.


Following the huge moorland fire last year, one of the best groups to see planting trees was the Lancashire Fire Service and Fire Cadets who were up here last summer and remember the devastation of one of the worst moorland fires in Bolton's history.

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