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Sidmouth Arboretum

Caring for the trees of the Sid Valley

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Accessible Tree Trail leaflet

We have launched an Accessible Tree Trail leaflet  - The new trail, which is accessible to wheelchairs, mobility scooters and parents with young children in buggies, begins at the Museum, goes through the churchyard and Blackmore Gardens before looping round Heydon’s Lane and Coburg Road back to the Three- Cornered Plot.  The trail leaflet has information about many of the trees plus smartphone links to more information on the internet.  The Trail leaflet is available free of charge from the Tourist Information Centre and can be viewed online.

SALCOMBE REGIS FAIR

Jill and Diana at the table.
Jill and Diana at the table.
Sidmouth Arboretum had a stall in the churchyard at Salcombe Regis Summer Fair.  Lots of people stopped for a chat and to try the tree twig task.  Twigs were collected from ten of the trees around the churchyard, they were numbered and people were asked to match the twigs to a list of tree names.  There was also a map of the churchyard with 16 individual trees marked.

Trees to combat climate change

Bob Chard
Bob Chard
As part of Tree Week 2019, Bob Chard told us about his experimental woodland growing foreign hardwood trees to assess which ones could be used as substitutes for imported hardwoods.  
The UK imports more hardwood for things such as furniture than most other countries if taken on a per capita basis.  This creates a market for illegal logging in tropical rainforests.  
Bob, who has a family history in forestry, is growing foreign species of tree to assess which will thrive in the UK.  His work is attracting attention among the forestry community and will pay large benefits in years to come.

Dame Julia Slingo

Dame Julia Slingo
Dame Julia Slingo
There was a lot of data
There was a lot of data
Sidmouth Arboretum Patron and former Chief Scientific Officer to the Met Office, Dame Julia Slingo gave an absorbing talk about trees and climate change as part of Tree Week 2019.
Dame Julia gave an analysis of data from a range of sources to show that human activity has been affecting carbon dioxide levels for a long time as we have cleared large areas of forest across the northern hemisphere.  This effect has been exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels and this is causing wide ranging changes in our world.  
However, the talk ended with a note of optimism, Dame Julia told us that things are moving and she believes that things will not turn out as bad as the worst case scenarios.  One thing that will help is to plant more trees, lots more trees.  Large scale reforestation will not prevent climate change, but it will help to moderate its progress.

TREE WEEK 20-25 MAY 2019

All events this week free of charge, except for Friday departing from the Museum £2.50p.

Monday 20th Sidbury Guided Walk

2pm Meet at Sidbury Council car park

Tuesday 21st with Café Scientifique

‘Trees for multiple benefits’

Illustrated talk by Bob Chard

3pm Cellar Bar of Kennaway House Sidmouth

Wednesday 22nd   Salcombe Regis guided walk

2pm Meet at Tourist Information, Sidmouth

Thursday 23rd

‘Trees for climate change’

Illustrated talk by Julia Slingo DBE FRS

7.30pm Music Room at Sidholme Hotel, Sidmouth

Friday 24th Sidmouth guided walks

10:30am Meet at Museum, Church Street, Sidmouth

Friday 24th & Saturday 25th MEET THE TREES

Guided visits to gardens with special trees         

Map and times from Tourist Information Sidmouth

Or request from info@sidmoutharboretum.org.uk

VOLUNTEERS

We would welcome anyone willing to help with our activities, whether active planting and maintenance or helping at our stalls when we attend the local Fairs and Festivals.    Please get in touch info@sidmoutharboretum.org.uk

TIPS FOR MAY / JUNE

SHRUB PRUNING  - one third of older shoots to ground level soon after spring flowering such as Philadelphus.

FRUIT    summer pruning   apples/pears for fruit, winter pruning for growth but remember stone fruits only prune in summer.    https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/trees   for pruning guide lines and for planning your autumn planting now!

HAWTHORNS in bloom   - ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ is very popular – see the trees in the Market Place and outside Unitarian Hall by Tesco in bloom in May.   In spite of the thorns which put off many people, I am really keen on hawthorns – easy to grow, flower in spring, fruits in autumn, some yellow some red some black and the birds love them.     But pruning – best left to winter. 

The horse chestnuts are magnificent in flower now (mid May) though sweet chestnuts just starting into leaf.   

CHECK out your water butts – you may need them this summer.

ANOTHER TREE PLANTED

The planting party.
The planting party.
Graham did most of the work.
Graham did most of the work.
Graham and Jon led the work party planting a Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) in Long Park.  Sidmouth Town Council gave permission to plant in the park, Council Chairman Ian McKenzie-Edwards and Town Clerk Chris Holland came along.  Diana and Ed also attended.

BLACKMORE FRUIT TREES

Graham digging for victory.
Graham digging for victory.
The Woolbrook Pippin
The Woolbrook Pippin
The Woolbrook Russet
The Woolbrook Russet
Job done Graham
Job done Graham

Working with EDDC, Graham and Jon kicked off this year's planting schedule when they planted fruit trees in Blackmore Gardens today. Two local apple varieties, the Woolbrook Pippin and the Woolbrook Russet were planted against the wall by the health centre. The trees will be trained on the wall as they would have been in times gone by. The team also planted a Rowan and an Apricot will follow soon.

TREE LABELS

Diana attaching a label
Diana attaching a label
Giant Redwood Label
Giant Redwood Label
As part of the Arboretum's remit to inform and engage the public, we are attaching labels to many publicly accessible trees in the valley.  Each labels tells you the scientific and common name for the tree, but it also includes a QR code.  A QR code is like a super barcode, it contains information about a link to the Arboretum website page for that particular tree.  The code can be scanned with a smartphone app with data access and the link is made to the website with information about the particular tree and further links to wider information about the tree species from organisations such as the Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission and Royal Horticultural Society.
The first labels have been attached to trees in the Knowle.  We will also be labelling trees in Blackmore Gardens, Sidholme and along the Arboretum's Tree Trails.
 

 

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