On 24 and 25 November, CFT teamed up with the Friends of Oaklands Park and Transition Chichester for a bit of green thumb action! Over those days, we planted more than 420 whips (think baby plants) along the archery field’s western border in Oaklands Park. We've wrapped them up in bio-degradable guards to keep them cosy.

Why, you ask? Well, our grand plan, thanks to advice from Sussex Wildlife Trust, is to create a wildlife corridor, a source of food, and somewhere to shelter for the animals, birds and insects that call the park home. We're aiming to make this place a buzzing hub of biodiversity. Plus, we've strategically placed this new hedgerow close to the Community Orchard and Wildflower Meadow, hoping that together they’ll create a perfect habitat for local wildlife.

Thanks to the Woodland Trust, we've planted some native whips including Hazel, Crab Apple, Hawthorn, Silver Birch, Oak, Blackthorn, Elder, Dog Rose, and Rowan. Plus, we've added some little saplings we found in the orchard.

We're all excited to watch this hedgerow grow and flourish! We'll keep an eye on it, make sure it's happy, and let you know about all the species that decide to set up camp there.

Big shoutout to the amazing volunteers who lent a hand, and a massive thank you to Chichester District Council for their support.

Useful links:

Transition Chichester

Woodland Trust

Friends of Oaklands Park