To our amazement, we reported that we had planted 300,000 trees last December. Since then, we’ve planted even more – 100,000 more at Lodge Castle, our newest site taking our total so far to 400,000.
We took the metaphorical keys to Lodge Castle in November 2024, and by March 2025, we had dug 6 ponds and planted a new 26-acre woodland that will help connect existing woodlands, creating continuous canopy cover stretching more than 4km.
The site is very Juncus sp (rushes or locally known as seaves) dominated as the ground is usually wet. There are some very small areas of grass, but the majority of the site is thick thigh-high rushes, which you would think would overwhelm the young trees; but the opposite is proving to be true.
The rushes protected the young trees from the extremely dry late winter/spring period and shaded the ground, preventing it becoming baked hard. Where we planted in grass, the trees struggled with some dying back to preserve moisture, but in the rushes, the saplings took the drought (the most severe drought since 1893) in their stride. The alder and willow especially liking the environment.
We also installed two owl boxes in the hope that we can attract some barn owls to take up residence. No success yet, but they only got installed in April. Keep an eye out for new updates. I’m sure we’ll let you know if we get some owls moving in.
