Andover Tree’s 10 Year Anniversary
10 years of planting trees!
Andover Trees are celebrating their tenth anniversary and the Andover Campus of Sparsholt College Group, has been part of this project for the past 10 years. The project has now gained national and international recognition and is celebrating not only its 10 year anniversary but also its final year of creating Harmony Woods.
Various departments from the college, including the Geography and Environmental Science department, have been planting trees with Andover Trees since 2011. The College’s Students spend time with younger students from local schools, helping them plant seeds in nursery beds, which will then grow into trees and be brought to Harmony Woods as a community gift. Whilst planting the trees, the college’s students are able to share their knowledge with the younger students and educate them on what they are doing and why.
Lynne McCandlish, Geography and Environmental Science Lecturer said “The first year Environmental Science students visited Harmony Woods to assist local school children to plant trees as part of the 10th anniversary Andover Trees United urban woodland project. The students really enjoyed assisting the Year 3 pupils engaging with this valuable local conservation project headed up by Wendy Davies who was recently awarded the Points of Light award by the Prime Minister for her outstanding contribution to volunteering.”
Wendy Davies, Andover Trees, said “The college will have many students who, over the years, have planted a tree in the wood and as the children grow, so does their wood and their understanding. The project was devised to enable young people to learn about the natural world, to take practical action against climate change, make a difference in their community and demonstrate that as local adults we do more than talk about the environmental crisis – we do things. With COP26 having just taken place, this is a brilliant time to make the discussions real and meaningful. I hope that you will agree that an hour (or two) spent in the wood, planting trees and learning first hand about environmental science will inspire them and advance their understanding.”
Julie Milburn, Principal and Chief Executive of Sparsholt College Group, said “Sparsholt College Group is committed to promoting sustainability in order to protect and enhance our environment. We integrate sustainability considerations into all organisational decisions and have a strong sustainability strategy that will lead us to being a Carbon Neutral College Group by 2040. We are proud to have been a part of Andover Tree’s project at Harmony Woods for the past 10 years and look forward to growing this connection as we collectively respond to the climate emergency. We all have a part to play in making our environment a safer place to be, for us and future generations.”
Find out more about this project by visiting www.andovertrees.org.uk . You can find out more about the Geography and Environmental Science courses at Andover.ac.uk.