Making Chelmsford greener: tree planting with the Students’ Union
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On a chilly November morning, a team of ARU staff and students came together at the John Shennan Field in Chelmsford to plant some trees in partnership with Chelmsford City Council and Love Your Chelmsford – a project devoted to making Chelmsford a greener and more sustainable city.
What we did
We worked hard to plant a mixture of native trees, including some fruit trees, so that visitors to the park can enjoy their natural surroundings, and take part in some foraging too. By the end of the session, we had planted 500 trees – not bad for a morning’s work!
Plans for the future
There are also plans for local school children to plant around the area with wildflowers. Once the trees are established, this area of the park will be a fantastic area for our wildlife and communities to enjoy.
This work forms part of the University’s Sustainability Strategy (PDF), with a goal to plant 10,000 trees by 2026. With 2,000 trees planted so far, we’re looking forward to continuing our hard work in supporting our communities and their public spaces.
Volunteer with us
If you’re interested in working with ARU volunteers to help build greener and more sustainable cities, contact the Students’ Union Volunteering Service at [email protected]
I nearly pulled out of today as the weather is a bit cold and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I am so glad I didn’t! I have really enjoyed getting out in the fresh air, meeting new friends and feeling like I have made a real difference to the environment and local people."
"It is so nice to know that this will be enjoyed by the local people and wildlife for many years to come and I was part of that, thank you for organising it and I’d love to come again!"
Student participant