Pupils plant trees in environmental drive

The pupils from Peafield Primary School spent the afternoon with members of Mansfield District Council’s parks team, planting oak trees and whips, which will extend Whinney Hill Woods into Peafield Park as the trees mature.

Around 60 seven-to-nine year-olds from the Peafield Lane school, rolled up their sleaves on Friday, 29th November, to help complete the work.

Coun Phil Shields, portfolio holder for the environment at Mansfield District Council, said: “The school work very closely with the council and uses Peafield Park for numerous outdoor education lessons.

“The tree planting project is a great way to get kids interested in gardening and nature.

“By planting the trees themselves, I hope that the children involved will have a greater appreciation of the park and will want to treat everything in it with care whenever they visit.”

“The new trees planted by the school children will further enhance the park for generations to come by making it more attractive, extending the existing woodland and improving bio-diversity.”

Whinney Hill Wood sits within Peafield Park and is a fairly mature woodland, with the oldest trees aged around 60 to 80 years, a district council spokesman said.

Peafield Park is located in the Peafield Estate in Mansfield Woodhouse.

It is a Green Flag park which provides a great resource for local residents and visitors from further afield, the council said.

It offers a range of facilities for all ages to enjoy including a play area, multi-sports pitch, skate park, bike track, wildflower meadow areas, trails and walks, and a sensory gardens.