Help clean up a woodland in Minster
Published
Friday 28 February, 2025
Updated
Friday 28 February, 2025
Call for volunteers to help clean up and maintain a community woodland in Minster.
Swale Borough Council, working with volunteers and a local business, has organised a community volunteer day, on 18 March, to help collect and remove litter and thousands of tree covers from Thistle Hill Community Woodland.
Thousands of young trees - whips - that were planted with protective covers alongside a development in Minster-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey, have grown into 25 acres of beautiful community woodland.
However, these trees have now outgrown their guard which kept them safe from the elements, and are falling from their trunks and need to be collected along with other litter.
Local company, CDDL Recycling, are providing the tonne bags needed to collect the guards and have offered to remove and recycle the covers for free.
Volunteers are being asked to meet at the car park on Thistle Hill Way, ME12 3GP, at 9am, bring gloves and dress for the weather.
The event is subject to cancellations due to poor weather so keep an eye on Swale Borough Council’s social media for updates.
Over 10,000 covers have already been cleared from Kingsborough Manor Community Woodland, in Eastchurch, as part of the council’s, and dedicated volunteers’, efforts to maintain these important green spaces.
Cllr Rich Lehmann, chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, said:
“It is amazing to witness these woodlands growing into something truly special for our community, and it is clear to see how beloved they are by the amount of local support we received during our volunteer days.
“Without the support of the dedicated volunteers and local businesses this would not be possible, thank you to all of your hard work helping our officers keep Swale clean.
“This is on the back of our recent achievement of planting 15,000 trees across the borough, a mammoth task which is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together to make Swale a greener place.
“We need all the help we can get to remove these thousands of outgrown guards, so please join us at this community volunteer day and help preserve this important green space.”
The council are also teaming up with a local charity to sell £10 bikes refurbished through the Swale Cycle-re-Cycle scheme on the same day (18 March) from the car park on Thistle Hill Way, ME12 3GP.
