'Fantastic' array of trees planted in Midhurst green-space

Jubilee Path at South Pond, Midhurst, has been transformed thanks to more than a dozen volunteers who have been working with the council’s Green Space Team to look after the five-hectare site since 2012.

On the first Saturday of each month, the South Pond Group cut back brambles, pull up weeds, litter pick and dredge the pond, ensuring that the area is a haven for plants, wildlife and people.

They are supported by Chichester District Council, South Downs National Park Authority and Midhurst Town Council.

Barbara Coote is the chair of the 15-strong South Pond Group and has been volunteering since 2013.

She said: “I think the new trees are absolutely fantastic. They are lovely, healthy trees which will increase the biodiversity of the area and make a pleasurable walk for people along Jubilee Path.

“They will provide nectar and food in the spring and summer, and beautiful colours in autumn for everyone to enjoy.”

The South Pond Group has made enormous progress in the once-overgrown area which is now a wildlife corridor.

+Barbara added: “Our objective is to make sure South Pond is a lovely, attractive environment for people to enjoy by increasing the biodiversity.

“We clear the overgrown areas around the pond and litter pick. We take the boat out and clear the islands.

“We get involved with the local community by having children down who do pond dipping and look for bugs under the wood and we have moth evenings where we lay moth traps – we have discovered 96 different varieties

“Local people are invited to bat evenings where we use the bat monitors.”

A pond dipping exercise in 2014 produced just a single blood worm. Now there are a whole variety of creatures that are thriving at South Pond.

Councillor Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for Environment at Chichester District Council, said: “Barbara and her team do such a fantastic job and we really wanted to highlight their hard work.

“They have their own boat and wade across the mud and the mire to the islands. It’s heavy going but they are so enthusiastic – a great bunch of people.

“They work with the seasons and around the wildlife.”

The council’s Green Spaces team have dotted 13 trees around Jubilee Path, mimicking nature as much as possible.

Cllr Plant added: “It’s very hard to recreate nature so we’ve dotted the trees around - we didn’t want them to be too regimented.

“It’s important to choose the right trees so that you don’t alter the biodiversity. These trees are good for birds and wildlife.”

The trees were paid for by Chichester District Council.

Elsewhere in the district, thousands of free trees have been snapped up as part of the council’s Tree Chichester District scheme, which was launched in January and funded by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The council is one of five local authorities in England taking part in the £2.5m tree planting pilot, testing ways to increase tree cover in rural and urban areas.

People can find more information about the council’s Tree Chichester District scheme and how they can access funding for trees, at www.chichester.gov.uk/treescheme

To find out more about South Pond Group, visit www.southpondgroup.wordpress.com