Arbor Day success for Alderney

The latest effort to bring woodland back to Alderney has seen a thousand new trees planted.

After the Second World War most of the island's woods had been chopped down for fuel.

But over the last few years the Alderney Wildlife Trust and local volunteers have been working to bring back the habitat.

This year saw dozens turn out for what the Trust calls Alderney Arbor Day, introduced five years ago.

Adam Offler from the Alderney Wildlife Trust said: "We'd like a place for people to enjoy, woodlands a wonderful place and Alderney's a bit short on that at the moment, it's also a great habitat for birds, nesting places and so on, insects, you get specialised in woodland, so it's increasing the wildlife value as well and building a habitat that Alderney's a little bit short of."

So far more than 5,000 trees have been planted.

Some design has gone into the latest patch of woodland, known as Milly's Wood.

The Trust invited local children to come up with ideas, and nine-year-old Deborah Etheredge's was the top choice.

"I put a nature walk in my design, a fairy trail, and a children's play area," Deborah explained. "And I put the trail and the play area because I thought it would encourage children to think about nature and I put the nature walk cause I enjoy nature."

Some of the new trees will take a hundred years to fully mature.

But they will change the face of Alderney, for future generations.
(from CTV)