East Suffolk Council
Children plant orchard for benefit of local community
Local children and volunteers have helped to plant hundreds of trees and a community orchard at a country park in Oulton Broad.
On Tuesday 6 February, pupils from the Limes Primary Academy in Oulton Broad joined Matt O’Connell, Countryside Ranger at East Suffolk Services Ltd and a local volunteer group to plant twenty fruit trees at Woods Meadow Country Park.
The trees will form a community orchard within the park, containing local varieties of fruit trees and which will serve as a focal point for future community activities.
Matt O’Connell said: “The children were keen, inquisitive, and enthusiastic about their task, and it is wonderful to see that the pupils and staff are so keen to get involved in the park. We hope more activities can be arranged soon which they can become involved with, especially as theschool is currently working towards their Green Tree Schools Award. Thanks also to the Woods Meadow Country Park Volunteers for their support and to the East of England Apples and Orchard Project who provided the trees.”
Charlotte Thompson, Headteacher at the Limes Primary Academy, said: “The Limes Pupil Parliament members would like to thank Matthew for attending their meeting and for offering them such a fantastic partnership opportunity. They have been so proud to report back to school about their upcoming project and are excited to be making a difference in their community. Participating in the RSPB National Big School Birdwatch event, children across the school are enjoying learning about sustainability, animal habitats and local ecosystems so this opportunity will only further enhance their learning."
One of the pupils said: "Planting more trees will be good for the environment but also make Woods Meadow look better. I can’t wait to see the trees we planted from our classroom window. I will visit with my family too."
On Saturday 3 February, over 65 cubs, scouts, parents and leaders from the 14th Lowestoft Scout Group attended a community tree planting event at the park, where they planted 684 tree saplings. This included digging, planting and staking the trees, as part of a wider woodland planting programme.
All the trees were funded through a joint application to the Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF) by East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council, along with other district and boroughs, through the Forestry Commission.
Woods Meadow Country Park, owned by East Suffolk Council, was created in 2019 to provide a welcoming and informal green space for local people to enjoy and which benefits their physical and mental wellbeing. In 2023, the park was awarded a Green Flag for the first time.
Located next to the Broads National Park, Woods Meadow is a 19.7-hectare site with a wildflower meadow, protected trees and seven English Oaks which were planted in 2022 to commemorate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Planting began in 2022 on a 5.8-hectare mixed native woodland whilst a restricted area known as the Hay Field provides a haven for ground nesting birds, especially skylarks. This fully enclosed area is reopened to visitors during the winter and serves as a safe area for dogs to be exercised off the lead.