The Community Tree Hub here at Hill Crest grows native trees from locally collected seeds. We are very lucky that a group of friends and volunteers regularly help by collecting the seed and planting up the trees in The Tree Hub nursery. The Tree Hub gatherings happen throughout the year, where we spend time tending to the trees and carrying out nursery maintenance such as weeding, watering and potting on. Spending time together is a great way of sharing ideas and planning our planting projects that are happening across Devon Wildland, the first of which happened in the winter of 2022!
At the moment we have the following tree species growing in the Tree Hub:
Oak
Holly
Hazel
Rowan
Birch
Alder
Hawthorn
Blackthorn
Field Maple
Wild Cherry
Wild Service Tree
Guelder Rose
Alder Buckthorn
Dog Rose
Scot's Pine
Yew
Our nursery tables are old discarded desks which have been kindly donated by a local primary school and the University of Exeter. Traceability and biosecurity are important to us and we make all our own compost on-site, and the pots and trays are all reused.
It's great spending time together and sharing some food and lots of tea and cake! This reciprocity, where we are collectively taking action to help tackle the climate and biodiversity crises can really help to mitigate eco-distress.
If you are a landowner in Devon Wildland and would like help with a tree planting scheme or would be interested in rehoming some of our saplings please get in touch. Similarly, if you would like to join us and spend some time in the Tree Hub, you'd be very welcome!
Stop Press:
A huge Congratulations to our friend and all-round 'tree guru' Jon Covey (above left) for being awarded a BEM in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for all his work at Moor Trees and his exceptional work over many years in growing tens of thousands of trees, which have been planted across South Devon. A huge achievement.
Also thank you to him and Jon Brock (above right) for being so generous with their time and wisdom in helping to set up the Tree Hub here in Devon Wildland.