Community orchards planted at Steart
The villagers of Steart, Combwich and Stockland Bristol helped plant two new community orchards last week.
As well as bearing apples, the orchards are intended to be places for the communities to relax and enjoy.
The planting went ahead despite bad weather and very sodden ground.
The orchards are part of WWT Steart Marshes, hundreds of hectares of new wetland that has been created in partnership with the Environment Agency, to offset rising sea levels, provide flood protection and support farming and wildlife.
Alys Laver, WWT’s Senior Conservation Warden at Steart Marshes led the planting on the day. She said:
“WWT Steart Marshes is about showing that places can be great for people whist being good for wildlife too, and these community orchards will do just that. They’ll bear lovely local varieties of apples and be a free venue for community events, and at the same time it’ll be carpeted with wildflowers and blossom throughout the summer, supporting a wealth of bees and butterflies.”
