St Modwen Properties : CALLING GREEN FINGERED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP CREATE NEW...

22nd January 2016

Local residents, schools and colleges are being invited to don their gardening gloves and help create a stunning new bluebell wood at St. Modwen's Branston Leas development.

Volunteers have the opportunity to help plant the new bulbs which will form part of the new 82 acre Branston Leas Woods next to the River Trent that will boast 21,000 trees and seven acres of suitable habitat for wetland bird species, as well as playing home to grazing livestock which will help manage and increase the biodiversity of the site.

St. Modwen, the UK's leading regeneration specialist, has teamed up with The Woodland Trust, the National Forest Company and the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to deliver the new beauty spot that will become part of The National Forest and can be enjoyed by generations to come.

So far, over 15,000 trees have been planted at Branston Leas Woods over the course of the last year, with six successful community planting events having already taken place to plant new fruit trees, rare Black Poplars, plus 14,000 bluebell bulbs.

The first official public planting event in 2016 will take place on Saturday 30 January 2016 from 10.00am-11.00pm, where local people are invited to help plant 2000 bluebells. The group will meet at the car park of the Riverside Inn, on Riverside Drive, Branston. All tools will be provided and no previous experience is required.

Shaun Rimmer, of The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the organisation managing the new woodland in partnership with St. Modwen, said: 'Over the course of the next year, we will be planting 2000 trees, plus 5000 bluebell bulbs at Branston Leas Woods.

'Community planting events are really good fun, whilst being an excellent educational tool for local children and adults to learn about the natural environment and the importance of creating new woodland areas for wildlife habitats to encourage biodiversity.

'But over and above that, by organising volunteer planting events, local people have an opportunity for direct involvement in creating and shaping the new woodland which will hopefully be enjoyed by many generations to come.'

In addition, St. Modwen, in partnership with Branston Parish Council and the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, will be delivering a new Peace Wood in 2016, enabling residents and the local community to make a tribute to their loved ones by sponsoring a plaque on a new oak wall, which will be installed within Branston Leas Woods.

For more information please email [e-mail] or call Shaun Rimmer on 01889 880100.

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