South Cumbria Rivers Trust led a group of students from St Thomas’ school in Kendal, in planting over 600 trees in the Longsleddale valley this week. The planting scheme is part of a wider project in the catchment, namely the Cumbrian River Restoration Strategy funded by the Environment Agency and the R4Ever LIFE Kent Restoration project funded by a grant from the European Union. We took the decision to plant these trees without the use of tree guards and stakes to reduce plastic use. Therefore, we over planted with the expectation that they may not all survive.

Over time these young trees will develop into fully mature trees that provide shade to the river, helping to cool waters down. Cooler water temperatures are vital for fish and other animals to thrive. These trees will provide future climate change resilience to the river corridor, but they will also provide important shelter for any grazing stock in the summer months. The trees were planted in a wide corridor slightly set back from the rivers edge. They comprised a mix of species for added biodiversity. Guidance on tree selection and locations, were provided by the team at the Woodland Trust.

It was brilliant to see the children take such an active part in the planting, they were particularly excited about seeing all the worms in the soil and learning about soil structure. Through activities like these we hope to inspire the next generation of environmentalists.

We will be continuing our effort to plant more trees in the valley in the next few months, so keep an eye out for future volunteering days.