Get involved with a native tree planting and demonstration day

Published: 04 April 2023

Shetland Amenity Trust’s woodlands team is hosting a practical demonstration day on correct tree planting practice later this month and the public are invited to come along and take part in the planting of over 200 trees.

Shetland Amenity Trust has been operating a horticultural unit for nearly 30 years, nurturing native species and supporting tree planting schemes for schools, community groups, and individuals throughout Shetland to help improve Shetland’s biodiversity.

The demonstration will take place on Saturday 15 April from 10am – 12 noon at the Anderson High School and will involve the planting of hundreds trees at the Lochside site which have been provided by the Woodland Trust under their MOREwoods scheme, a national campaign to plant hundreds of thousands of trees throughout the UK.

Paul Goddard, who leads the woodlands team said: “The MOREwoods project has been very popular in Shetland - with groups and schools requesting free packs at the end of last year. Many of the trees have been grown from seed at our nursery and we are now starting to distribute the packs to the various groups.

“We thought it would be timely and useful to host a practical tree planting demonstration day both for the recipients of the tree packs but also to give confidence to anyone who would like to go out there and volunteer with a group, or just wanting to plant a few trees in their garden.”

The demonstration day will cover all aspects of tree planting, from best practice through to advice and tips on what trees to plant in which place, the importance of provenance when selecting a tree, and the benefits of aftercare.

Everyone is welcome. Participants should wear appropriate footwear and clothing and bring a sturdy spade if they have one.