The new Jubilee Copse in Down Grange Meadow, Kempshott is one more step in the enrichment of green spaces in Basingstoke. This new area of planting complements the adjacent copse created in 2008 and marks Kempshott’s contribution to Her Majesty the Queen’s Jubilee Year.
To mark the occasion the Mayor of Basingstoke, Cllr. Biermann and the Lady Mayoress inspected the work carried out and added the last spade of soil to the planting The whole project was then given a blessing by the Reverend Kelvin Taylor of St Mark’s Church.
The Mayor and Mayoress, who are both keen supporters of nature conservation, were conducted round the Down Grange Meadow site and heard details of the biodiversity restoration work that has been carried out over the last five years.
This latest development, to create the next generation of mixed woodland on the site, has combined planting material from the Woodland Trust, young elm saplings (part of a national Elm Conservation Project trialling the reintroduction of disease resistant strains of elm across the country), two specimen trees ( a rowan and a whitebeam) donated by the Kempshott & District Residents Association and bushes of hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn and elder grown by the Group.itself.
Over a dozen Worting St Thomas Scouts volunteered to plant the whips and small shrubs for us – despite pretty wet weather through most of the first half of November. Thanks guys! Pictures are here>>>
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Steve was able to give the Mayor & Lady Mayoress a conducted walk round Down Grange Meadow prior to the inauguration. Both were both interested in the work the group is doing.
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Mayor & Lady Mayoress talking to Steve Goodwin talking just before the cerremonial planting
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In the background are representatives of Worting St Thomas Scouts who helped in the planting of the actual copse. They did a sterling job depite the first time they turned up on site, two thirds of the copse was under water!
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The Mayor saying a few words during the inauration
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Many thanks go the Kelvin and members of his congregation who have provided support to the group. Kelvin did the honours when we planted the Community Copse in 2009.
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…. and a nice letter from the Mayor