PeCAN Fruit Tree in Every Garden Project
Petersfield Climate Action Network are delighted to report that all the fruit trees and hedging plants supplied for this winter’s A Fruit Tree in Every Garden project have been allocated. This means 1000 subsidised fruit trees (funded by East Hants District Council) have been sold and nearly 3km of free hedging plants (funded by The Tree Council) distributed across East Hampshire this season! Over the four years this PeCAN project has been running – and growing – they have provided nearly 2000 fruit trees for local gardens and allotments.
The benefits offered by planting a fruit tree include habitat for wildlife, water retention, shading, blossom, fruit and carbon absorption – but hedgerows could be fellow gentle champions of nature recovery. Replacing fences with hedges and replanting gaps will help us meet our national, and international target of 30% of land restored for nature by 2030. Native hedging offers a diverse habitat, supporting a range of wildlife as a natural foraging corridor and source of shelter, and capturing and storing large amounts of carbon.
At both collection events – the Tree Festival in November and Hedge Fest in February – PeCAN, The Tree Council and Petersfield Community Garden collaborated to offer free planting and pruning demonstrations, expert information, and brilliant activities for children. Further collaborations, with Alton Climate Action Network, Liphook Climate Action Network and Rowlands Castle Gardening Club, allowed for additional collection points in those locations. Approximately 70 volunteers helped to deliver the project, and more than 600 people attended across the two events.
One customer commented “The 80m of mixed native hedgerow we collected at Hedge Fest will be planted on our wildflower meadow, primarily for wildlife and to boost biodiversity, and will be laid using traditional Hampshire methods. We can’t wait to see the difference it makes to our little pocket of Hampshire chalk!”
A Fruit Tree in Every Garden will return once again next autumn. You can register your interest in purchasing a subsidised fruit tree on PeCAN’s website (petersfieldcan.org) where you can also sign up for monthly updates via their newsletter. Keep an eye on their Facebook and Instagram accounts for news.
Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN) is an environmental charity, set up in 2020 by local residents.
This project is part of EHDC’s Grow Up Community Farm project and has received funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
Photo credit Tina Knowles Photography.
The new shelter at Petersfield Community Garden was built and designed by natural builders from a local company based in Midhurst called Built by Artizans – www.builtbyartizans.co.uk
The team of volunteers in High Vis jackets was taken at a team building away day with Network Rail and the Tree Council.
Hedge Fest was a great event in itself with so many trees and so much hedgerow collected by locals, the wildlife are going to love it. Folk had the opportunity to explore the Community Garden and wander into the new Eco Shelter, the artisan builders were there to chat to. To look at the shelter, to be under it just gives pleasure. It is perfectly placed as though it has always been there.
It was good to see the new shelter at the Community Garden and meet the craftsmen who built it.
By developing Hedge Fest, PeCAN is addressing one of the main biodiversity challenges in Hampshire, one of three counties with least hedge length nationwide. Working hand in hand with The Tree Council, PeCAN’s efforts will increase hedge length in Petersfield – providing crucial links for wildlife and helping to restore the landscape.
Petersfield Town Council and Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN) are delighted to welcome you to the second Eco Fair, which will be held on Petersfield Heath on Sunday 14th July 2024 from 10am – 4pm. The event is free to enter, and will have a number of stalls, children’s activities, food, drink and music. The themes of the fair are Energy, Community, Low Waste Living, Nature and Travel, so come along and find out what actions you can take to protect our beautiful planet. Details of the activities and stallholders will be posted on the website: https://petersfieldcan.org/. We hope to see you there!
