OVER 20 local volunteers planted 450 trees in Jean McAlpine Park on Sunday 24 November 2013 as part of National Tree Week* which runs from 23 November to 1 December 2013.

Trees, which were supplied by The Conservation Volunteers through their Big Tree Plant** campaign and some grown locally or donated by local people, were planted in the park. The aim is to improve the landscape and biodiversity of the park and to encourage community involvement in the management of the site.

The Harlow Conservation Volunteers, a local Scout group and staff from Tim Moya Associates, a consultancy business based near to Harlow, supported the event and volunteered on the day. The volunteers were joined by the Chair of the Council Linda Pailing.

There was a mixture of trees planted including alder, wild cherry, hawthorn, silver birch, rowan/mountain ash, oak and hazel.

Councillor Phil Waite, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “Jean McAlpine Park is a very popular open space with local residents. The Big Tree Plant as part of National Tree Week will help not only to further enhance one of Harlow’s many green spaces, it enabled the community to come together for a very worthy cause – to improve our environment.”