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20 October 2011

New Face Sowing The Seeds 

Some tree's at Hinchingbrooke Country park 

There’s a new face among the seedlings at the Huntingdonshire Community Nursery and out and about in the surrounding ancient woodlands. 

Amrita Huggins is leading a project to grow trees from local seed as part of a massive tree planting drive across the Alconbury Airfield site. Owners of the site and funders of the project, Urban&Civic are planning more than 200 acres of new woodland and hedgerow, and want as many as possible of those trees to be grown from local native stock. 

Amrita said: 
“This is a huge project, but it is really exciting to be a part of something of this scale, and to be involved in a project where trees have such a big part to play. The great thing about seed collecting and growing-on trees is that you can involve local schools and communities at every stage, and people can watch the hedgerows and woodland grow with them.” 

Amrita is working as part of Huntingdonshire District Council’s Countryside Services team and is based at the Huntingdonshire Community Nursery in Godmanchester, where a tree nursery, vegetable and herb gardens, an orchard, a bee garden and an apiary have been developed . The Nursery has strong links with local community groups and provides activities and volunteering opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Part of Amrita’s role will be to support that project, expand and develop it, with the hope that a similar scheme can be set up at Alconbury in the future. 

Tim Leathes, Project Director for the Alconbury development at Urban&Civic said: 
“We see trees as an integral part of the early infrastructure on site, as they really make a place come to life. We know we won’t be able to grow all the trees locally, as planting on this scale will require a range of sizes and types of trees, but getting a nursery up and running on the site and being able to involve local schools and communities is key to our future plans. When I was shown the work of the Community Nursery at Godmanchester I was very impressed, and we are really happy to be working with Huntingdonshire District Council’s Countryside Service, supporting their valuable work and learning from all the hard work they are doing.” 

“Amrita will play a key role for us in taking forward our ambitious plans, not just for woodland but for allotments and community orchards running across the site at Alconbury. It is great to have her on board”. 
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