On a drizzly day in late February, we had our final planting day of the tree planting season, which took place in Percy Road Park, a site and community we have been working with for the second year in a row.
The planting was focused on addressing localised flooding, one of the initial local issues we wanted to focus on with the planting program. During workshops ahead of the planting, children highlighted this as a major concern and were particularly inspired to address it after learning how Alders can naturally mitigate flood risks. A special shout-out goes to Manhoor at Sparkhill Academy for flagging this!
The River Cole runs along the back of the park and is prone to periodic flooding, which has historically caused significant local disruption. To address this, we collaborated with Indestructible Paint, a neighboring business that was heavily impacted by the 2018 floods. They had already been working to establish a local flood group, and we reached out to explore how flood mitigation planting could both alleviate the situation and continue to raise awareness.
We also connected with Greet Primary School, who were badly affected by the floods, at one point even having to hold classes in corridors of their school. Their school council, which is made up of students from years 1 to 6, joined the project alongside a small group from Yardley School, many of whom were students at Greet when the flooding occurred.
While we gathered in the mizzle, Kris from Indestructible Paint shared some insights into successful efforts to lower the river's water levels. Specifically, he mentioned the removal of three upstream weirs. These had originally been installed for businesses along the Cole that required the water, but since those companies moved on, the weirs were causing the water to stall unnecessarily.
In addition to these structural changes, Kris actively reports "streamers" which are items ranging from fallen trees to discarded trolleys that can clog the waterway and impede its natural flow.
Our discussion then shifted to the trees themselves. We explored the vital role trees, particularly Alders, play in flood management and river health. These trees are essential for absorbing water and stabilising banks. Their complex surfaces, nooks, and textures also help slow the flow by intercepting rainfall, preventing it from rushing directly into the river.
Alders, in particular, are perfectly suited for this environment, often described as trees that "love to get their toes wet!"
Before they were planted in the earth, we took a moment to inspect the trees, noting features like their catkins, purple buds, and lenticels. The participating pupils were fantastic, deeplying engaging in the planting process and asking insightful questions. To mark the occasion, we also created signs for these new additions.
After the students departed, we finished the day by planting three Red Panda Birches at the park entrance. These enhance a line of trees we helped establish last year, which includes apples and pears.
With the dedicated, amazing Sparkhill Park and Percy Road Park teams working together with us till the end!
A brilliant final planting.