Pictured: Members of Lewes Urban Arboretum

Lots of us are itching to plant more trees to help tackle climate change – but doing it properly takes experience and expertise. Lewes District has four voluntary community tree-planting groups hard at work – and new volunteers are always welcome.

A tree lives for many hundreds of years – but it can also take many months of planning to plant it. Before a tree can go into the ground, lots of time may be spent examining service maps and landowner permissions and then checking what’s hidden below the surface. Then once a tree is planted, it needs plenty of care and monitoring to ensure it gets properly established.

In Lewes District, we’re fortunate enough to have four voluntary community groups focused on tree-planting: Lewes Urban Arboretum, Trees for Seaford, Newhaven Tree Wardens, and Greenhavens Network. All these groups are made up of passionate people who volunteer their time because they care about the natural environment and their communities. It’s also a great way to spend time outdoors and meet new, like-minded people.

As well as the cost of buying trees, these groups need to raise funds for caring for the trees, and training of volunteers. This year, for example, Trees for Seaford and Greenhavens Network worked together to fund eight places on an intensive course – a legal requirement to enable the volunteers to plant trees safely on highways. Wilbar Associates – the training course provider – were really impressed by the work of the tree-planting volunteers. So much so that they arranged the donation of a CAT scanner and four safety signs in order for the groups to be able to plant trees safely on roadsides.

Wherever you live in our district, there’s a friendly tree-planting group nearby. All sorts of skills are needed – from planting trees, scanning for underground services, to liaising with local residents and organising events. So if you have got time or expertise to share, do get involved.

Lewes Tree Summit Forum
Alongside these four community groups, Lewes Railway Land Wildlife Trust has also set up an online forum to discuss a range of topics around tree-planting and opportunities to plant locally. Visit the forum at: https://www.railwaylandproject.org/forum

Group contact details:
Lewes Urban Arboretum (the Trees Committee of Friends of Lewes)
Email: arboretum@friends-of-lewes.org.uk
Website: https://friends-of-lewes.org.uk/natural-environment/lewes-urban-arboretum/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LewesUrbanArboretum/

Greenhavens Network 
Email: greenhavens@yahoo.com
Website: https://greenhavens.network
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/430224887418049

Trees for Seaford
Email: treesforseaford@gmail.com
Website: treesforseaford.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/treesforseaford

Newhaven Tree Wardens
Email: bn9trees@hotmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BN9TreesNewhavenTreeWardens