Environmentally Enhanced Tree Planting

Blaize have just completed their 10th Tree planting since 2012 at Goit Stock Lane, Harden, Bingley. This year’s planting brought the number of trees planted to almost 5,000. In February 2012 Alan Morrell started working with Ian Butterfield from The Forest of Bradford which eventually became Yorgreen Community Interest Company. Sadly, Alan died earlier this year but not before starting to organise this 10th planting.

Not only did Alan ensure this year’s planting went ahead but he also improved the environmentally friendly aspect of the project over the previous efforts. Until recently young trees have been planted with a plastic shroud around them to protect them from being eaten by deer, rabbits, and other animals. We are all aware that plastic is becoming a serious problem in the environment and the covers need to be collected back in again after 4 or 5 years and recycled to prevent long term damage to the countryside. Alan was keen to find an alternate material and had spent several months investigating shrouds made of wool which he thought would be an appropriate material for a Bradford based Rotary Club to use. But in the end, he was unable to obtain enough for this planting. In place of plastic this year’s covers are made of cellulose fibre which we are assured are totally biodegradable and will start to break down in 3 or 4 years eventually rotting into an organic compost. The Rotary Club of Bradford Blaize donated £500 to Yorgreen CIC to help them acquire the trees and the environmentally friendly guards.

Ken Senior who picked up the project after Alan’s death said that the Rotary Club Bradford Blaize felt that this tree planting was an excellent memorial to the work that Alan had put in over many years as a Rotarian.