Initiatives

SAVE THE BABY TREES!

If you use Victoria Park (rec) next to Great Knollys Street/George Street you will have seen that 12 new trees were planted this year funded through a climate emergency action grant to increase tree cover in the town. They were planted by our Reading borough council. One of our local school has been supporting the effort to help the trees establish roots by watering them since early this year.

However, they break up for the summer this coming week and we need some help over this extremely hot summer to continue their good work until they return in the autumn. What can we do to stop the trees dying in the heat this summer?

As the trees are still young they need a lot of support to stay alive, they are not as drought resilient as more established trees.

To stop them dying we need to keep them watered over this record hot summer.

The Victoria Park Community Group (www.vpcg.org.uk) are looking for volunteers in the local community to become a team of waterers in July/Aug. Guidance on what to do, best time of day, how to identify if trees are in distress etc, will be given by our local Abbey ward councillor Karen Rowland. There are already two trees in the park that look like they are in distress, so we need to take action now.

Take Action: let me know if you are willing to go out with water/watering cans and help the trees this summer, send me your dates of availability (vicpkcommunity@outlook.com). We are grateful for any help we can get. Even if its not regular, just some dates would be amazing. A rota will be drawn up. The more people that can help the less work it will be for everyone.

What’s in it for me?

  • Get to know like-minded neighbours/ local community
  • Help your community improve its green space thereby increase your own mental wellbeing
  • The satisfaction that you are doing something good for others! (known to increase your own sense of happiness).
  • Do you really need any more reasons?
  • Ask not what your community can do for you, but what you can do for your community…someone once said something similar.

Please share this email with local people you know. Thanks for helping make this a better community.

Maria Trevis Chair of the Victoria Park Community Group