Trees for the Triangle Gets off to a Good Start

We were excited to take 'possession' of our latest site: a couple of allotments at East Beckham where we are planning to create a tree nursery - Trees for the Triangle. One of the allotments was very overgrown, so we were pleased to welcome six students and two members of staff from Gresham’s School for their annual summer field day on June 19th.

The gang set to work with gusto. One set raked up the rough grass that our volunteer Simon had begun to scythe - he soon became known as Si the Scythe. Another group, led by Val, carted four pallets across to a corner of the plot to create a compost bin, secured with cable ties and lantern pins; by the end of the day, the compost bin was heaped high with the grass cuttings. A third team under the guidance of Trevor cleared the perimeter of overhanging branches and tackled the brambles that had overwhelmed part of the site, including the rainwater harvesting area.

The rotting pallets that had been supporting the large rainwater-capture bowsers  were removed and added to the ever growing bonfire heap (which included an old bed frame, complete with headboard, that had been used by a previous occupant as a raised bed!).  The sun beat down upon us and frequent hydration breaks were taken.

We were all glad to retreat to the shade of our East Beckham Common reserve, just a stone's throw from the allotments. A leisurely lunch and chinwag were followed by a guided tour of East Beckham Common. Then it was back to the tree nursery to finish tidying up and to complete one last task - constructing a bench. This was a joint effort by all the students, who dug the holes for the legs, fixed the screws and infilled in relays. Finally it was time to test the finished article!

We had a great day, with a team of students who worked really hard, were cheerful and flexible and who seemed to have a good time. Big thanks to Anna, Daria, Alex, Paula, Pullo, Will, Lenny and James.

Val Stubbs

June 19^th 2026