ASBY TREE GROUP FAQs
It has been set up by local residents to make a contribution to the national project to plant more trees in response to environmental and climate concerns, as well as to attempt to provide different species successor-trees to the many Ash that will soon be lost to dieback disease.
The Ash tree has a special resonance for Asby Parish because its name may well derive in part from Old Norse for the Ash tree – askr.
The tree group was established with the following aims:
- To carry out a survey of field trees to identify the age and species profile of trees.
- To promote and undertake the planting of trees, particularly of single trees and groups of trees within agricultural land, to provide long term replacement for trees being lost as a result of age, disease, and storms.
- To promote and undertake the planting of trees and hedging generally to maintain and enhance the landscape.
The tree group is not a charity registered with the Charities Commission.
We are established through our charter as a volunteer community group. This status is recognised by government and other national bodies which we deal with.
The tree group is managed by a management committee. The committee members are elected annually at the Annual General meeting. There are 3 formal positions; these are Chair of the Group, Treasurer, and Secretary. In addition, we currently have 4 other members of the committee who bring a variety of specialist skills and knowledge in farming and arboriculture.
The committee currently meets on a monthly basis and reviews and agrees projects we can work on, manages the finances including funding applications, and reviews progress of work to ensure we are successful in achieving the group’s aims.
In order to achieve our aims we have various costs in terms of both materials, tools, and administrative costs like insurance. We raise money through donations from members of the community here in the parish of Asby and by holding fundraising events. However, most of our funding is from grants from government bodies or charities set up to support tree planting.
As of the 31st March 2022, we had received a £5,000 grant through the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership “Love Your Landscape” scheme. Our Parish Council has also awarded us a grant of £150 and we have been promised a grant from a company called Beastmaker (produces rock climbing training aids) which has local connections. The Woodland Trust has provided trees and tree guards with a commercial value in the region of £1,000. We are working with local farmers to access funding through other government schemes such as ‘Farming in Protected Landscapes’, Countryside Stewardships, and the government’s emerging Environmental Land Management Scheme. Organisations awarding grants, stewardship schemes etc take into account the significant monetary value of the work undertaken by all our volunteers; over £11K in our 1st 7 months.
We have expertise within the group; this includes a highly experienced farm manager who ran the Levens Gaythorne Estate for many years, a planning consultant who specialised in arboricultural matters for local authorities, an experienced landscaper who works on high end projects, and local landowners. We also have access to advice from organisations such as the Woodland Trust, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Forestry England, and other government and regional bodies. Finally, we have our own ‘Tree Stig’, not a tame racing driver, but a slightly feral, highly experienced arboriculturist.
We do not provide a stock fencing service; clearly, appropriate stock fencing is the responsibility of our local farmers and landowners. We will however assist with hedgerow projects either to provide new hedgerows or to reinstate previous hedges. We will also carry out repairs to fencing that has been erected to protect tree planting areas. An example of the former was the planting of around 120 m of hedgerow on a farm adjacent to Great Asby village; resources were provided through the Woodland Trust.
The Tree Group can provide most of the equipment that is required to carry out our work. This includes surveying equipment, the tools needed to plant trees and hedgerow and tools required for building fencing and tree guards. We also have protective equipment such as safety glasses, hard hats, and ear protectors. The Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership has funded this in order that we can ensure the equipment being used is suitable and in good condition. It also means volunteers don’t end up losing, damaging or breaking their own tools.
The Tree Group can provide most of the equipment that is required to carry out our work. This includes surveying equipment, the tools needed to plant trees and hedgerow and tools required for building fencing and tree guards. We also have protective equipment such as safety glasses, hard hats and ear protectors. The Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership has funded this in order that we can ensure the equipment being used is suitable and in good condition. It also means volunteers don’t end up losing, damaging or breaking their own tools.
The Tree Group can and has provided training. If we have sufficient numbers to warrant it, we will provide specific training events. New members can also be provided with ‘on-the-job’ training from one of our experts or from a more experienced volunteer, whichever is most appropriate. Most of us have also learnt and developed our skill through the experiences we are gaining – every day can be a school day.
No-one volunteering for the Tree Group, including the members of the management committee, receive any form of financial remuneration, either in money or kind. In specific circumstances, out-of-pocket expenses can be made, although none has been to date.
We will welcome any suggestions for where the Tree Group might be able to undertake tree or hedgerow planting within the parish or on its peripheries. The management committee will explore these opportunities, engaging with the landowner/farmer, to see how we are able to help within the resources available to us.
RECENT ACTIVITIES
ATG - Winter 2022-23
Winter Activities 2022/23
In the winter of 2022/23, the Tree Group:
- Made a major contribution to planting 2.5km of hedgerow on the land of Gaythorne Hall
- Planted 500 trees in the area known as ‘Mask Wood’, close to Campbell’s Garage in Great Asby
- Planted 150m of hedgerow in Little Asby.
In addition, Tree Group members planted wildflower-plugs on a small number of grass verge areas within the village of Great Asby.
See moreATG - Winter 2021-22
Winter Activities 2021/22
In the winter of 2021/22, we completed planting of:
- 650m of hedgerow at High Plains farm
- 150m of hedgerow at Fieldhouse farm
- Small amounts of understorey at Maisongill (see photograph)
- Tree planting in Great Asby Village, including groups of trees protected by weldmesh guards on Chapel Green
- 'Salvaged’ an older planting scheme between Scalebeck and Howe Slack, by strengthening stock-proof fencing and a measure of re-planting of saplings damaged by deer and livestock.
[Note: To access ALL the event reports from the last 12 months just click on any of the “See more” links above.]
CROSBY RAVENSWORTH GROUP
Our Group is modelled upon the Tree Planting Group in Crosby Ravensworth which has been active since 2019. In their first two years they have made great progress, planting over 3500 trees, 7500 hedging plants (over 1250 metres), together with the associated protection measures.
Check out this presentation of their work recorded in March 2021:
.