Protect Earth Skip to content Faringdon, Oxfordshire
Weston Farm is an organic mixed arable and cattle farm with the River Cole running along one boundary. They already have a clumps of woodland and well kept hedgerows but were very keen to plant a shelterbelt to link these areas. Biodiversity on the site is already quite good, and the area is popular with bird watchers.
Fund the work still needed to complete this critical work.
FWAG took some photos of the shelterbelts we planted but did not carry out a full survey. It was good to see how well the trees are growing, with most well out of their guards and looking strong and healthy. There is some long grass, teasels, etc. growing around the saplings but this does not appear to be a problem at the moment.
FWAG and their wonderful volunteers revisited this farm to restock all three shelterbelts on this site with a total of 1324 trees and shrubs.
We will need to keep a close eye on this site to make sure that these trees settle in well.
The results of this year’s survey were disappointingly low with the second shelterbelt again showing the worst results. The survival rate results were as follows:
Shelterbelt 1: 55%
Shelterbelt 2: 42%
Shelterbelt 3: 53%
This gives us an overall survival rate of 50%, well below our guaranteed 80%. This site will need restocking as soon as possible.
The first and third of the shelterbelts we planted here are doing very well with very few dead trees. The other shelterbelt was showing a few gaps so we restocked it with a further 433 trees and shrubs to restore it to 100%. Overall, the site is performing well, with a survival rate of 86%, which is impressive after the dry summer the year they were planted. Fortunately, thanks to the wetter summer this year, these trees have received a good boost.
This was one of our earliest shelterbelt plantings in conjunction with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West (FWAG). Their volunteers did most of the planting on this farm near Lechlade, with some help from our team, planting 3128 trees and shrubs overall to form three large shelterbelts. We used mulch matting to suppress grass and weeds, with stakes and guards to protect the young saplings until they are big enough to fend for themselves.
Help us create and maintain new woodlands, hedgerows and wildflower meadows! We need volunteers to sow seeds, plant saplings, clear invasive plant species and pick up litter. No qualifications necessary; jobs for all ages and abilities. Come and turn climate anxiety into climate action!
With government funding for reforestation and rewilding tenuous, we increasingly rely on our amazing community to keep us growing regardless of political shifts. Help Protect Earth continue to restore ecosystems and improve biodiversity across the country.
Help us put down roots! Your donations to our Land Fund let us seize the moment when the perfect piece of land comes up for sale. Every penny helps us secure community woodlands, healthier ecosystems, and a greener future for generations to come.