Hi. It's me in that hole. I've just had my 75th birthday, so what am I doing standing in a hole wearing a swim suit and wellies in October? (UTube video not included here yet) Trying to catch your attention, that's what! Your attention to the effects of climate change, which will be so important, particularly for my children and grandchildren's generation . We can all do our bit to try to alleviate the effects, particularly ones we can already see. I live in Somerset, one of the areas most likely to be severely affected . Our project concerns the Somerset Levels, a large part of the county generally at or below sea level. You probably remember the pictures on the news a few years back when the Levels were flooded and whole communities had to leave their homes. Animals got stranded, roads had to be closed -it was a real disaster. Our local village school has been flooded twice in the recent past. This is predicted to become a more common event from now on due to climate change. Somerset has less tree cover than most counties in England; In the past a lot of the trees have been removed from the hills surrounding the Levels to make room for farmland. Trees hold rainwater and release it slowly over time so replanting trees above the Levels will help to reduce flooding. Trees also capture and store carbon dioxide and this also combats climate change. Our small local charity was formed when 9 acres of farmland and mature woodland came up for sale on a ridge above the Levels. During 2020, in spite of the pandemic, we raised £60K , mainly from the local community, to buy the land. Our willing volunteers, including the top two classes from our local school, have already planted 500 trees and shrubs on the farmland and the local community has enjoyed the wildflower meadow that has developed alongside them. This winter we have obtained another grant for a further 400 trees and shrubs, with guards and stakes, , to plant later in the season.
The weather was kind to us and our trees this summer as the early rain allowed them to establish their roots and we didn't need to water. Very few trees didn't grow. However, next year may not be so obliging, so for minimal outlay we have constructed a rainwater capture apparatus. We now have 3.5m3 water in large tanks. However, we need a means to get it from the tanks to the trees. Various ideas are being considered, but they will all cost money. Our boundaries in the woodland are currently not marked, though we have identified where they are from our documents. We need to mark them clearly and to protect saplings growing in the wood from being browsed by deer. As the woodland is on the steep slope to the Levels on the north this will not be easy!
We have no income other than that obtained by fundraising so that is why we are very much hoping you will support us now! Thank you for your attention
