A team of 20 people from the company’s Sheffield office worked alongside rangers to plant 20 young oak, birch, rowan and holly saplings in tree guards designed to protect the trees as they grow.
Their hard work will help the National Trust to establish more trees as part of a bigger project happening at Longshaw to develop wood pasture and create homes for wildlife in the future.
Planting trees was the second part of the volunteer’s project following a previous visit to the estate in the summer when they built wooden tree guards and learnt more about the importance of creating the right conditions for trees to establish.
Their recent return visit coincided with tree planting season, and was an opportunity to plant the young saplings, which were all grown at Longshaw, mostly from seed collected in the area and nurtured in the estate’s tree nursery.
Sophie Hepworth, Partnerships Manager for Northeast, Yorkshire & Humber at Mears Group, said:
We were keen to collaborate with the National Trust on a project that aligned with Mears’ commitment to social value, improving lives and contributing towards a healthy planet. The tree planting project at Longshaw was a great opportunity to not only support staff wellbeing by getting them out into the fresh air together, but also give back to the local community.
Chris Milner, Area Ranger for the National Trust at Longshaw said:
It has been wonderful to work alongside the team from Mears. Their hard work has helped us to get more trees in the ground. I can see how passionate and interested the team are. Many of the group told me they were keen to come back to see how the trees they have planted are growing and changing with the seasons.” This work has been made possible thanks to the support of the Mears Foundation, the charitable arm of Mears Group, who kindly supported the project with a grant to pay for tree guards and materials.
