This week we feature a group of residents who are passionate about improving the environment, increasing biodiversity and enabling more of the local community to make use of our beautiful outdoor space.

This group is the Friends of Higher Brook Meadow.

With the enthusiastic support of members of the group as well as Sidmouth Arboretum and representatives from East Devon District Council’s climate group, 15 trees and 300 hedgerow whips were planted last February for the Queen’s Green Canopy scheme 2022.

Friends of Higher Brook Meadow during the Queen's Green Canopy planting.

To maintain, nurture and protect these new additions, the Friends of Higher Brook Meadow applied for our Small Community Grant and were successfully granted £450 to purchase equipment to look after the trees and hedging, such as a hedge trimmer, a wheelbarrow and hand tools.

We’ve been in touch with the group, a year and a half later, to check in on the health of the trees and hedges. To much delight, all 15 trees are doing well and of the 300 hedge whips, only 15 were lost but were all replaced in no time. Wildflower seeds were also planted in the hedge row which resulted in a myriad of colours popping up over the summer months.

Wildflowers popping up over the summer months 2023.

What a tree-umphant result from our Small Community Grant!