A CAMPAIGN to help newly planted trees to settle into their new homes is seeing the green shoots of success.
Members of the Victoria Park Community Group answered a plea from Reading’s tree wardens to help protect the saplings installed in a park off Great Knollys Street, taking their watering cans and buckets to help give the 10 trees a drink.
In all, 30 have been planted across Reading this year as part of a project run jointly by Ethical Reading, Reading Borough Council and Reading Tree Wardens. But with little rain, they have needed a helping hand to grow their roots.
The tree wardens offered help and advice to the group, who labelled the trees and set up a watering rota.
Two beech trees at one end of the park were covered in brown leaves when they began. After several weeks of regular extra watering they are now showing signs of life again, with green shoots and new leaves starting to sprout.
Anna Iwaschkin, Reading Tree Wardens Co-ordinator, said: “The council and its watering contractors are working extremely hard to manage tree watering in this unprecedented situation.
“We’re so grateful to people including the Victoria Park Community Group volunteers who have rallied around to provide extra water to help trees survive.”
And the efforts have been hailed a success by the community group.
Its chair, Maria Trevis, said: “It is a testament to our efforts to see the baby trees starting to show signs of recovery even in the hottest week of the year.
“All the volunteers have been working hard to water the trees during the intense heat of the last few weeks.”
The trees will continue to be supported by the group as the long, hot summer turns to autumn.
More tree waterers are needed. For more details, email Reading Tree Wardens: rtwn2011@gmail.com
