Trees, trees all around in Point planting challenge

– December 5, 2009Posted in: Features

Donald john Macsween

They only had an hour to do it but the fifty or so volunteers – including children – who turned up to do the Tree O’Clock challenge just beside Point Football pitch this morning managed to plant a magnificent 1,185 new trees.

A small copse of red-leafed Rowans will soon spring up at the roadside, with broadleafs and conifers appearing in areas around the pitch.

The Tree O’Clock challenge was part of the UK wide Breathing Spaces campaign. The aim was to plant as many trees as possible in an hour – from 11am to 12pm, and although organisers had hoped many more volunteers would turn up on the day the hardy planters who did turned-in a magnificent job.

Labour Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Westminster, Donald John Macsween was on hand to help organise the planting and it was hoped that around 2,000 trees could be bedded-in during the allotted hour to break a previous Tree O’Clock record.

Although the 60-minute record was beyond the efforts of the small band of volunteers the shortfall of plants were also planted following a short break at 12pm for a hot mince pie and a warm beverage.

Break over the volunteers returned to their planting duties until all the plants were rooted into their new Point.

Organiser Mina Sheppard said;
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped to make this project an overwhelming success.
Special thanks to the 50 or so conservation volunteers, young and old, and the brilliant verifiers who freely gave their time.

Thanks also to the young people Jack, Jasmine, Kelly, Josh, Ben, Tara and Peyton from Baha’i Youth & Children who enthusiastically planted many trees, and to Tony Robson from the Stornoway Trust and Brendan Harty from Bee Green for their help in sourcing the trees.

Most importantly, thanks to our Point Councillor Mr Donald John Macsween who helped and arranged the planting ground and the trees.

It was great to see everyone working together to plant the trees that will have lasting benefits for wildlife, people and our environment for generations to come.”