Starting in 2014, Norfolk Broads Direct implemented an initiative to plant a native tree for every new boat that is built, offsetting the carbon footprint of this undertaking.
Trees will be planted in local, Broads locations with good access for the visiting public. Good river access to these locations will hopefully encourage people to visit these beautiful areas, perhaps with a view to looking at the ‘twinned trees’, or at least creating a link and a reason for our boating customers to explore some of the attractions, parks and gardens found on the Broads.
Three trees have been planted at Fairhaven Gardens for Fair Executive 1 & 2 and Fair Senator 2 – Ash, Oak, Sweet Chestnut. These trees were propagated on site and planted in 2014. They can be found in the new tree planting area in the garden.
In 2015, two trees were planted at Salhouse Broad, a popular mooring spot only 40 minutes downstream from Wroxham. A Sweet chestnut and hazel were planted, both from local stock. In addition to the benefits of planting trees, Norfolk Broads Direct is looking at the other aspects involved with putting young trees in the ground. The main products used to protect these saplings are plastic weed membranes and tree guards, or tree spirals. Norfolk Broads Direct has teamed up with a new local company, Brilliant Little Planet, who provide biodegradable products to the landscaping and gardening industry. The tree spirals and weed membrane supplied by Brilliant Little Planet are made from potato starch, offering a fully biodegradable alternative to the standard plastic option. Once the trees have established themselves, three or four years down the line, the products will start returning to their natural components: air, water and humus. The huge benefit of this is not only the reduced amount of plastic ending up in landfill, but visually there will be no tatty looking tree guards hanging from an expanding and maturing tree.
Norfolk Broads Direct has been working closer with local organisations to produce a tree planting plan; as the company continues to improve and upgrade the fleet, more trees will be planted around the Broads. For 2016 Norfolk Broads Direct will be working with the Broads Authority and the How Hill Trust at How Hill in Ludham.
If you run an organisation or manage a park or reserve in the Broads and would be interested in joining in our project, please get in touch.
In addition to our offsetting, we are keen for our customers to plant trees in some of their favourite Broadland locations (where management plans permit). As part of our commitment to the environment, we have promised to plant two trees for every tree our customers plant through us.
Photos by T.Radcliffe, B.Greasley: Top to Bottom – Will Coulet (Brilliant Little Planet), Belinda Hamilton (Salhouse Broad), Barbara Greasley (NBD); Tobi Radcliffe (NBD), Will Coulet planting a Sweet chestnut; Hazel with Brilliant Little Planet’s biodegradable tree spiral in the foreground.