We have a new species at Gatwick! We know this because
we put it there... Last Wednesday under the supervision of expert plant carer
Nikki Coultrip from JS Agriculture, we planted our 10 rare native Black Poplar saplings along the River Mole floodplain.
The full scientific name is Populus nigra subsps betulifolia.
This tree is native to the UK and is one of the rarest in existence; only a few
thousand mature specimens remain in Britain and 33 of these exist in
Sussex.
Buds still in their dormancy
We have followed the planting guidelines of Sussex Otters and Rivers Project and the next few years we will be keeping a close eye on these little guys, strimming the
grass around their tree guards and making sure they are not swamped by surrounding vegetation.
Each got a pep talk: Reach for the skies, don't let those rabbits get to you,
keep your head above the flood waters
keep your head above the flood waters
Centuries ago the British black poplar would have occurred naturally in
floodplain woodlands. Unfortunately, naturally functioning floodplain woodlands
are almost an extinct habitat, also this tree requires very specific conditions
to reproduce and so right now only survives through plantings and cuttings.
The Sussex Black Poplar Working Group was established in
1998 and to date have planted over 4000 trees in Sussex river valleys. Every year along
with Sussex Otters and Rivers Project, they help to hand out young black
poplar trees to landowners who can plant them in their native habitat. You can
find more info about the SORP at http://www.sussexotters.org/
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