Harborough Woodland Community
Getting to know Harborough Woodland Community
Set up in February 2020, this community of volunteers has been very busy planting trees! Their work aims to address the lack of woodland coverage in South Leicestershire, which amongst other negative impacts contributes to localised flooding.
South Leicestershire has just 3-4 % of woodland coverage, which contrasts poorly with other areas; for example Surrey has 25 %. As founder member Bruce Durham says, ‘It is our community that is adversely affected by flooding and other environmental impacts and therefore we have a vested interest in addressing the problems’.
Since starting out, trees and hedgerows have been planted at around 40 sites, including schools, farms and community reserves. In the first four years alone this amounted to 41,000 trees! It doesn’t stop there … thousands more will be planted over the autumn and winter months this year. Incredibly, this is all done by volunteers, over 400 to date – individuals, school, scout and guide groups, as well as families and businesses.
In addition to the planting of trees, the group organises flood wardens, checks and unblocks drains and works with landowners, other community groups, water companies and schools. The work has been nationally recognised, winning several national awards for its clear and positive impact on the local environment.
If you’d like to know more, check them out on all main social media platforms or on their website https//harboroughwoodland.com. If you want to get involved as a volunteer, they are always on the lookout for more support and can be contacted via e mail info@harboroughwoodland.com
Susanne Clampin
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