Firstly I would like to apologise for the lack of articles from your local National Trust ranger team over the past year. Jen Tyler, who was writing monthly articles, has re-located to the Outer Hebrides working for the RSPB.

With a smaller team, large workload and a busy summer we are now regrouping and finding time to get back to ‘normal’ and picking up the pieces that have been forgotten.

This winter is going to be very busy for us and part of the reason for me writing this article is a call for help with our work over the next few months. We have been very fortunate to secure some funding through an NT project ‘Blossom Together’ to plant 50 blossom trees within a new woodland at Porth. The woodland, Emma’s Wood after our late colleague Emma Shepherd, will be adjacent to existing woodland beside Froe Creek. The blossom will be at its heart and will be visible as you drive from Froe to Porth. There will be a path through the woods with a bench to sit and enjoy the blossom, trees and views. The aim of the ‘Blossom Together’ project is a national commemoration of those who lost their lives to Covid-19 and pay tribute to those who gave so much in the fight against the pandemic. And to establish beautiful public spaces, with and for communities, which foster more nature and culture closer to people and supporting local greenspace and woodland to flourish nationally.

The winter of 2019 saw us carry out forestry works at Messack. Messack is a beautiful headland on the Fal, bought by the Trust in 1999. Due to the existence of several veteran oak trees within the woodlands at Messack and little in the way of successional trees I decided that we needed to look to the future and ensure that the huge amount of important wildlife supported by such old trees had somewhere to go when their home was no more. Deciduous woodland will also provide a more diverse habitat with better understory than pine. A section of plantation woodland was chosen that lies between the veteran oaks and oak woodland toward Turnaware Point. As part of the felling agreement we have to re-plant with 2000 native sessile oak over the next two winters.

If you would like to get involved and help us plant all these trees please get in touch.  Email roseland@nationaltrust.org.uk or phone 01872 501062