A mixture of apple, pear cherries and plums trees have been planted at Cherry Orchard Country Park in a planned extension of the existing orchard, funded by the Essex Forest Initiative (EFI).
On a misty Wednesday morning, Rochford District Council’s Open Spaces team joined forces with volunteers from the Friends of Cherry Orchard group and officers from Essex County Council’s Climate Adaptation and Mitigation team, to plant 100 new saplings.
The new trees are just the latest improvements at Cherry Orchard Country Park. The lake underwent a biodiverse makeover last November, providing a healthy wetland habitat for wildlife and protecting the future of the lake.
Earlier last year 70 hornbeam trees were planted as part of Her Majesty The Queen's Green Canopy, a project which invited people across the UK to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.
Cllr Dave Sperring, Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said:
"I'd like to thank all the volunteers who took part in the tree planting for their time and hard work. It's wonderful to see so many people take pride in our open spaces and want to make it a diverse and beautiful space for visitors and for the wildlife that live there.”