Sunday, 12th February launches the "Transition Trees" project at the new Blackshawhead community allotment and orchard site at Moss Hall Farm, Long Causeway, Blackshawhead, which has been generously offered for use by owners Frank and Mags McLaughlan. Free home made soup and hot drinks are provided for volunteers, and all are welcome. To take part ring Treesponsibility on 07847 815926 for details.
Transition Town's Working Woodlands Group, Blackshawhead Optimistic Gardeners and Blackshawhead Environmental Action Team are working in partnership with Hebden Royd Town Council to deliver the project, which encourages people in local communities to plant and care for trees. The Working Woodlands Group is itself a collaboration of Treesponsibility, Calder Local Orchard Group (CLOG) and Blackbark, a local woodland management co-operative. The group aims to educate people about the value of trees, create new woodlands and bringing neglected woodland back into management; thus providing biodiversity benefits, a source of renewable wood fuel, and linking tree planting with community food growing projects. The project is made possible by Grants from The Big Tree Plant, Hebden Royd Town Council, Fell Edge Fest and Access to Nature.
The launch event on the 12th will begin planting a shelter belt of 730 trees. Planting will continue through March and April with schools from Hebden Royd and Halifax as part of Treesponsibility's Access to Nature programme. Then on Saturday 25th February CLOG will host a grafting workshop at Blackshawhead Chapel to prepare the apple trees for the orchard. These will stay in a nursery area on site whilst the shelter belt establishes itself before being planted into their permanent positions. Plans for the site also include an ash tree coppice to contribute towards Treesponsibility's programme of planting for flood alleviation and renewable wood fuel.
Other "Transition Trees" areas include the Redacre Growing Project project in Mytholmroyd, where CLOG will begin with a grafting workshop on the 10th March, and the new High Hurst community allotment site at Dodd Naze. Planting here will include a shelter belt, coppice, orchard trees and fruiting hedges for wine and jam makers. The asset transfer from Calderdale Council to Hebden Royd is just being completed, and tree planting begins next year. In the third year of the project Blackbark and CLOG will host coppicing and pruning workshops.