THE tenth anniversary of the Watling Chase Community Forest project was marked by a ceremonial tree planting at the inaugural site in Bullens Green on Friday, October 19.

Since 1991, the project has seen 245 hectares planted with a variety of native tree species on hundreds of sites across south Hertfordshire and north London.

Existing woodland brought under management exceeds 1,000 hectares, 65 miles of footpaths and cycleways have been opened and improved, and 306 hectares of non- woodland habitat created or brought under management.

The project does not own any land itself the 11 hectares of former farmland at Bullens Green near Colney Heath were planted under an agreement with the owners, Hertfordshire County Council.

"It is a forest in the old medieval sense," said project director Andrew Patterson. "The old forests were areas for hunting, including a patchwork of woodland and farming land."

The proportion of tree cover within the 72 square mile area has been increased from seven per cent to nine per cent, and the target is 30 per cent after 30 years.

The Bullens Green wood was the largest planting in Hertfordshire in the 20th Century, but is set to be dwarfed by a 20-hectare planting on the old British Aerospace aerodrome in Hatfield next year.

The ash, oak, cherry and goat willow trees at Bullens Green, planted ten years ago as "whips" about a foot and a half long, are now a healthy ten foot or so, and paths provide public access.

Although three-year-old "standards" make good photo-opportunities, their growth is arrested when they are uprooted, and within a few years the younger whips are outstripping them.

Plantings are carefully structured around the soil structure of the area for example, hornbeam, a typical east Hertfordshire species, is not planted in the west of the county.

Areas of planting around St Albans include Highfield Park near the Hill End Hospital site, where the number of trees planted will hit 10,000 next month, and Shenley Park Orchard, the origin of the bottled apple juice served up at Friday's planting.

Mr Patterson explained that landowners considering planting woodlands can apply for grants from various sources such as the Forestry Commission, the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme and the lottery, and that other financial advantages included income from timber, and exemption from death duties.

If public access is granted, more government money becomes available.

The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is building up a store of seeds of five woodland wildflower species bluebell, greater stitchwort, honeysuckle, foxglove and red campion to try to improve the biodiversity of the new woodlands, although some sites are unsuitable, particularly if they have been heavily fertilised in the past.

"We are hoping to improve Highfield Park , but we have to investigate it to see if it is suitable," said trust officer Petrina Allen. "Community forests are an excellent way of helping, not just for wildlife but also to provide access."

October 22, 2001 15:18