At this time of year, we are looking at the last opportunities for treeplanting before spring bursts into action. The Woodbridge tree warden and volunteers have tidied up and replenished the hedging planted last winter at the bottom of the Kingston fields. We thought we’d lost most of them during the heatwave of last summer, but many came back to life in autumn growth. This coming summer, please consider sharing your water bottles content with any saplings you see suffering. Our trees and rewilding working party has requested of East Suffolk district council that further areas of roadside banks be allowed to rewild. And - although it won’t happen this year - we are developing a plan to “bring back trees to the avenues”. We will be consulting with residents about replenishing avenues that have lost their signature roadside trees over the years.

There are multiple international campaigns working towards a target to set aside 50% of the planet earth to go back to nature; as a best, and maybe only, way to slow the currently inexorable bio-diversity decline in this age known as the “The 6’th great extinction”. Given the remarkable procrastination international leadership have demonstrated in meeting the global decline in living conditions, it’s hard to imagine how the target of 30% by 2030 could possibly be met. OUR best efforts, locally however, WILL contribute to this vital effort.

The tree warden reports that there will be surplus saplings left-over from planting projects this year; if YOU would like to plant a tree in your garden as your personal contribution then let us know (use email below) - this offer extends to people of both Woodbridge and Melton. Nature is indifferent to our human imposed parish boundaries! Another working party is considering ‘water harvesting opportunities’ across the Town Council estate. We can anticipate further, more frequent and more severe water shortages into the future and storing rainwater locally may enable us to keep our saplings hydrated.

Yet another working party is considering possibilities for subsidising a local eBike hire scheme for the town; we should have further progress to report on this next month. There are exciting prospects ahead for changes in how we move around our hometown.

Councillor Martin Wilks, chair, CEEc

councillorwilks@woodbridge-suffolk.gov.uk

PS. Pass it on