what a start to 2011!

Sorry it's been a while since our last post- it's busy start to the year! so far we have planted 500 native oak trees in Dunster Forest with 70 members of the local community, established a committee of local people to manage the community orchard and arrange events, built owl boxes with volunteers, the forestry commission and hawk and owl trust, installed a brand new network of waymarked walking trails in the forest, and hosted the first of a number of bushcraft courses that will run over the spring and summer.

There is plenty more in the pipeline as we get ready for what we hope to be a busy visitor season, so watch this space!

Dunster now has a community orchard!

Around 40 local residents joined Dunster estate staff and parish council members on a cold Thursday 25 November to create a new community orchard as part of The Crown Estate’s UK-wide commitment to plant 3,000 new trees for National Tree Week (November 27 to December 5, 2010).

At Dunster, the estate and community decided to create a traditional orchard. In less than a hour, volunteers including children from Dunster First School, the scouts, members of the parish council, Dunster estate volunteers, representatives from other local community orchards, National Trust, Exmoor National Park, Orchards Live, and members of the general public successfully planted 57 plum and apple trees.

The Crown Estate is very grateful to everyone who turned out and worked so hard to get the job done. This orchard, which is to be maintained by the community, will be a genuine educational asset and I hope that the volunteers today will return in the future bringing others to enjoy “Apple Days” and similar events.