The Beryl James Selsey Tree Nursery
January 2022 - Ongoing
AIMS
To produce native trees, grown from local seed, for planting out in Selsey Parish and neighbouring parishes. The intention is to involve the local community in the tasks involved - from seed collection to planting trees - as much as possible.
BACKGROUND
The Group has wanted to establish a tree nursery in Selsey for many years in order to have a regular supply of trees to use in our planting projects. By growing saplings locally to where they will be planted, the trees will be used to the salty, coastal winds, which can stunt the growth of some plants.
Towards the end of 2021, the plan to create the nursery became possible when David Langmead, from the Langmead Group, offered the Group a plot of land in Selsey to rent. The licence for the site was officially signed in March 2022.
Rabbit fencing placed around the site, October 2022
The nursery is named in the memory of a remarkable Selsey resident who made a huge contribution to wildlife conservation through 30 years volunteering at Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve and 55 years continuous bird recording at Selsey Bill.
METHODS
Project leader, Joe Savill, is developing the nursery with a core group of MWHG volunteers, with support from ‘The Hidden Garden’ community gardening project based in Selsey. The Hidden Garden, part of the ‘Grow Selsey’, initiative, is an important partner of our nursery project.
The main tasks involved are seed collection, processing and sowing; potting on; planting out; preparation of new beds and general tasks such as weeding, watering, mulching and looking after the site. The amount of work required varies throughout the year, but the group are meeting on a regular basis as the site progresses.
RESULTS
Since March 2022, the nursery's volunteers have been hard at work prepping the site for planting, including the installation of Rabbit fencing to enclose the site. The first tree – an oak – was planted in October 2022 and further donated trees were planted later that year and in May 2023.
The first collection of seed was carried out in autumn 2022 and sown at The Hidden Garden, where the sown seeds and young seedlings will initially be looked after before being transplanted, as young trees, into the nursery beds. The collection of local seed will be an ongoing annual task and donated, locally grown trees will always be welcome.
Read the latest news from this project:
PARTNERSHIPS & FUNDING
FUNDING
Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group (MWHG)
Funded by your donations, distributed through MWHG.
Funding provided through the Defra Shared Outcomes Fund: Trees Outside Woodland programme.
Provided funding towards the project.
SUPPORTERS
Helped the project to find a suitable site for the nursery.
DONATE
GET INVOLVED
This project is looking for volunteers to assist with the following tasks: seed collection and processing, seed sowing, potting on, planting out into the nursery beds, weeding, watering, mulching, new nursery bed preparation, final tree planting, collection of donated trees, record keeping, equipment maintenance, photography, preparing press releases and outreach work to involve the community.