Tag Archive for: Restoration

Green-tech Supports Woodland Restoration at Rockyfold Wood

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Green-tech Supports Woodland Restoration at Rockyfold Wood: Rockyfold Wood, situated within the Kentchurch Estate in Herefordshire, recently suffered an outbreak of Ash Dieback. Large areas of infected trees had to be felled, leaving the site in need of restocking.

A key challenge of this project was the presence of local deer populations, which posed a threat to young saplings. To safeguard the newly planted trees and give them the best chance of thriving, protective measures were required.

Green-tech Supports Woodland Restoration at Rockyfold Wood

Green-tech Supports Woodland Restoration at Rockyfold Wood

The Project

To effectively restore the woodland and ensure the successful establishment of new trees, Pryor & Rickett Silviculture collaborated with Kilmaha Ltd. to lead the replanting efforts.

Pryor & Rickett Silviculture is a well-respected forestry management company that provides sustainable woodland solutions across the UK. Their work involves long-term planning, biodiversity enhancement, and commercial timber production. Working alongside Kilmaha Ltd, a forestry and countryside management company,  they were tasked with restocking the site while ensuring the new trees had optimal protection from deer browsing.

Products Used

To support healthy tree growth, the team turned to Green-tech, the leading supplier of tree protection materials and the largest distributor of Tubex tree shelters. Green-tech provides shelters and stakes that offer a controlled micro-environment, reducing environmental stress and preventing deer browsing damage.

To maximise tree survival rates and create a thriving woodland, the following products were selected:

  • Tubex 1.5m tree shelters – Chosen for their reliability and effectiveness in shielding young saplings from browsing deer, which aids tree establishment and enhances survival rates while fostering optimal growing conditions.
  • Stakes – Used to securely position the shelters and ensure stability during early tree development.

Green-tech involvement.

Tom Whitchurch, Senior Forest Manager at Pryor & Rickett Silviculture, comments, “We sought competitive quotes and ultimately chose Green-tech as our supplier due to their strong industry reputation, competitive pricing, and high standard of customer service. Our sales advisor, George, provided expert guidance, ensuring that the right products were selected for the project’s specific requirements.”

The Outcome

The Rockyfold Wood restoration project has successfully restocked the woodland, ensuring a new generation of trees can establish and thrive. The use of Tubex tree shelters has provided essential protection against deer, securing the long-term success of the replanting efforts. This initiative restores a vital part of the Kentchurch Estate and contributes to sustainable forestry practices and biodiversity enhancement.

This project demonstrates the value of sustainable woodland management and highlights the strong partnership between Green-tech, Pryor & Rickett Silviculture, and Kilmaha Ltd in delivering high-quality, long-lasting solutions for UK woodlands.

“Green-tech is my go-to supplier for plant protection and landscaping materials. George and his team deliver high-quality service and always come back with solutions to any problems or queries I may have. They price competitively and dispatch efficiently.” Tom Whitchurch, Senior Forest Manager at Pryor & Rickett Silviculture

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Agrovista Amenity Supports Eco-Friendly Roadside Restoration

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Agrovista Amenity Supports Eco-Friendly Roadside Restoration: Agrovista Amenity has played a pivotal role in one of the UK’s most sustainable highway planting projects, by supplying biodegradable alternatives for a large-scale landscaping effort led by Leicester City Council. The project, commissioned by Leicestershire County Council Highways, involved planting over 8,000 trees along a newly widened road, with a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability and plastic-free solutions.

The project, led by Tony Mason, Trees and Woodlands Officer at Leicester City Council, ran from January to March this year. It focused on restoring and stabilising the roadside with native plants while reducing the environmental impact of such large-scale work.

Sustainable Solutions with Agrovista Amenity’s Expertise

Agrovista Amenity provided a comprehensive package of sustainable products, including Tree Hugger guards, jute mulch mats, bamboo pegs, and locally sourced whips. These materials were carefully chosen to align with the project’s environmental goals, particularly the commitment to avoiding plastic.

Ed Smith, Landscape and IVM Manager at Agrovista Amenity, explained the motivation behind using biodegradable alternatives: “When Tony approached me about the project and we discussed using biodegradable options, it just made sense. It’s counterproductive to make a positive environmental impact by planting trees and shrubs, only to spoil it with plastic shelters that eventually become unsightly and a disposal burden. Tree Hugger guards, for instance, offer a long-term, cost-effective solution without the need for removal, and they blend seamlessly into the natural landscape.”

The Tree Hugger guards, made from organic cotton substrate coated in FSC-certified pine rosin, are fully biodegradable and designed to last a minimum of five years. Manufactured in Accrington by BMP Tree Hugger, a company with over a century of experience in cotton processing, these guards not only protect young trees from browsing animals but also promote healthy growth. “The cotton material is breathable, reducing the ‘greenhouse effect’ associated with plastic, which can stress the plant,” Ed added.

In addition to the guards, biodegradable jute mulch mats were used for weed suppression, anchored with bamboo pegs. This approach eliminated the need for chemical weed control, further reducing the environmental impact. “We talk about environmental sustainability, and this project is a perfect example of what that looks like in practice. By preventing future problems, such as the costly removal of plastic guards, we’re ensuring that this is likely the most sustainable highway planting job conducted in the UK,” Ed said.

A Significant Environmental Impact

The decision to go plastic-free has had a considerable positive effect on the environment. By opting for biodegradable materials, the project has prevented approximately 700kg of plastic from being introduced into the environment—the equivalent of around 35,000 plastic bottles (330ml). This achievement underlines the importance of sustainable practices in large-scale landscaping projects.

Challenges and Successes

Tony Mason, reflecting on the project, said, “The roadwork alterations were completed two years ago, but the landscape scheme wasn’t finished. When we took on the project, we needed a reliable supplier who could provide everything we required, and Agrovista Amenity was able to meet all our needs. Their products arrived on time and in excellent condition, allowing us to start the planting work in mid-January. Given the scale of the project, working on 60-70 mph roads was a new challenge for our team, but with the right training, we completed the work by early March, and the client was really pleased with the results.”

Despite the scale and complexity of the project, the Leicester City Council team managed to keep the environmental impact low by minimising travel and conducting all planting work manually using wheelbarrows.

This project sets a benchmark for sustainable practices in highway landscaping, demonstrating that with the right approach and materials, significant environmental benefits can be achieved without compromising on quality or effectiveness.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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