Wiltshire's volunteer Tree Wardens join Stourhead gardeners for a tour of the grounds to learn how they look after trees

Published 19 July 2024

On 17 July, Wiltshire's volunteer Tree Wardens visited Stourhead for a guided tour of the grounds from the estate management team to learn more about how they look after the trees at this internationally important National Trust location.

Tree Wardens look after the existing trees in their communities, protecting and enhancing the tree population and working in partnership with Wiltshire Council and local town and parish councils. The lessons and techniques learned on the visit to Stourhead will be taken back to local communities to improve how trees are cared for.

Wiltshire Council relaunched the Tree Warden scheme in September 2023 and has already recruited 56 volunteer tree wardens across Wiltshire. They receive training from the Tree Council's national tree warden scheme, who also support with securing funding for the planting of new trees. The council is looking for more volunteers to take on this important role.

Cllr Dominic Muns, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "The visit to Stourhead was a fantastic opportunity for Tree Wardens to learn from the Stourhead gardeners who are responsible for a large variety of important trees.

"Tree Wardens do a vital job in our communities, looking after existing trees and planting new ones which supports biodiversity, habitats, and helps us to reach our net-zero ambitions. The scheme supports our business plan key priorities of ensuring our communities continue to be beautiful and exciting places to live and leading the way in how councils and counties mitigate the climate challenges ahead.

"We're looking for more Tree Wardens who can work with our Woodland GAPS Team and local town and parish councils. If you are passionate about the environment and would like to help us protect and enhance our tree population, please visit Trees and woodland in Wiltshire or email [email protected], training will be provided and no prior experience is required."

Phil Niemand, General Manager of Stourhead, said: "As General Manager of Stourhead, I was delighted to host the Wiltshire Council Volunteer Tree Warden Awareness Day. This event underscores the importance of community engagement in preserving our natural heritage. By partnering with Wiltshire Council, we aim to celebrate the invaluable contributions of volunteer Tree Wardens and provide them with an enriching experience in our Grade 1 listed Historic Park and Garden. Their dedication to tree care is crucial for the health of our local ecosystems. This day not only offered learning opportunities but also helped to foster connections among volunteers, enhancing our collective efforts in environmental stewardship. We really enjoyed a fruitful and inspiring day".

Protecting and enhancing Wiltshire's tree population supports our net-zero ambition because trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere by absorbing it during photosynthesis, sequestering it for centuries.

Topics:

• Environment news

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