Fruit Tree Planting Event on Sunday 23rd February 2014, starting
at 1pm in Whitehead Diamond Jubilee Wood. A full-on family event so,
apart from the tree-planting, there’ll be guided walks, artistic
endeavours and other attractions. Experts on hand to tell you the
stories of the trees, show you how to forage food for free, teach you
how to keep a hedge under control. We’ll help you to build your own
bird-box, hang some feeders and make a leaf-print. This event is
organised by Transition Town Whitehead.
Turning plastic bags into apples: The government's 'carrier bag
levy' was started in April 2013; it meant you had to pay a 5p charge
when you chose to take a shop's plastic bag with your groceries. This
has raised over £3m since then, much of which has been channelled into
the NI Environment Agency's NGO Challenge Fund, available to community
and voluntary organisations for environmental projects. Transition Town
Whitehead has been one of the beneficiaries; and received a grant of
almost £8,500 from the fund for their 'Edible Landscape' project. With
the ready co-operation of Carrickfergus Borough Council, who manage
Diamond Jubilee Wood. They intend to plant a sustainable and edible
community orchard in the Diamond Jubilee Wood. The grant has enabled
them to buy almost 200 fruit and nut trees - apples, pears, cherries,
damsons, walnut, hazelnut - and a mixture of berry bushes. Within a few
years, these trees will be bearing fruit, for the benefit of everyone
who visits the wood and, indeed, for the bird population as well.
Jim Kitchen, from Transition Town Whitehead, said, "Planting
these trees this year is our investment in the future. In a few years'
time, we'll literally be able to use the fruits of our labour by making
puddings, jams and chutneys from the produce of this orchard. We hope
this is the first step in what will become an edible landscape - over
the next few years, we can add beehives, fruiting hedgerows and, maybe
one day, a full scale community allotment scheme. So, why don't you come
along and help us take the first steps. It's all happening on Sunday
23rd February from 1pm to about 4pm. If it's still raining, put on your
boots and waterproofs, bring a spade if you have one, and join us for
this planting party. You don't need to know anything about planting
trees; you just need a wee bit of enthusiasm.
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