Who We Are
Tree Action is a not-for-profit volunteer led organisation in Sussex set up in 2019 few years to deliver and organise tree planting and maintenance projects for schools and communities - www.treeactionuk.org
We engage young people and their families with the projects we have developed on public land given to us to plant trees by local authorities, and we also organise projects for schools so that their students can become part of tackling climate change whilst connecting with the environment as they learn about sustainability.
We are currently twenty regular part-time volunteers handling all admin planning. We get non-financial support and guidance from the local council's environmental team.
What We've Done So Far
We started by planting over 100 trees in the Shoreham by Sea and Southwick areas of West Sussex with the help of local volunteers. We then turned our attention to schools. We've now worked with 7 schools, raising over £50,000 to deliver 20-50 trees per school and provided guidance to the school on tree after care activities for the students.
"This is a brilliant project not only for the students at Warden Park but for the environment too." - E. Rudden, supporter.
School Projects:
Photos Above: Students of Warden Park Academy potting some self seeded oaks to raise funds for more trees. Below: Year 6 Students of Buckingham Park Primary School planting saplings at their local park. Different classes have been revisiting the trees to remove any weeds and add mulch to suppress weeds and help the trees establish.
Top: Students from Eastbrook Primary Academy planting Silver Birch trees on their school grounds. Bottom: Map showing locations for all trees in the plan for Buckingham Park Primary School which includes Hawthorn, Cherry, Hazel, Rowan and Pear, an Indian bean tree, liquid amber and a walnut tree.
Community Projects:
We have planted and are maintaining trees on recreation grounds in the Adur district of West Sussex given to us for planting trees by Adur District Council. However, it is up to us to get those trees established and we can sometimes face big challenges with lack of rain , overgrowth of weeds or vandalism, and funding for supplies of mulch, stakes guards and tools. However, gradually we are seeing many of our Oak, Maple, Sweet Chestnut, Rowan and Hazel trees gradually get established and there will be a need to plant more next season. We have our regular volunteers and then families, local residents and young people doing their Duke of Edinburgh Awards will drop in to help us.
What We Want To Do Now
Everyone loves to plant trees, but the journey for the tree doesn't end there. If its a young sapling, it has to fight weeds and grass to get established. If its a recently planted older tree, it will need as much as 25 litres of water every two weeks in the summer so the root structure can establish in its new home. They also need protection from football games, rabbits and drought to name a few.
We need more Conservation Volunteers to help get out trees our trees established as well as volunteers to help with our tree planting projects for schools and finding more sites to plant trees.
We also need fundraisers to help pay for our running costs, tools and mulch delivery for trees on public sites and new school projects.