Hackney,
25
May
2017
|
16:32
Europe/London

Hackney’s Tree Musketeers’ big win at London’s ‘Tree Oscars’

Tree Musketeers, a group of volunteers from Hackney, were awarded the Community Woodland Award at the 2017 London Tree & Woodland Awards.

The awards took place at London City Hall on Wednesday 24 May to celebrate nine award category winners in their efforts to preserve trees in and around London.

Tree Musketeers received the award for the outstanding work they do maintaining Wick Woodland, next to Hackney Marshes.

Planted in 1997 between the Lee Navigation, the A12 and Homerton Road, Wick Woodland contains a mixture of older, statuesque trees and younger woodland. The woodland provides a vital habitat for wildlife and is thought to contain one of Hackney's few remaining hedgehog populations.

Tree Musketeers work with local people, the Council and other organisations to promote care for the woodland. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to attend workshops to help plant and maintain the trees in Wick Woodland and other parks and green spaces in the borough.

Around 300 local people have participated in workshops in the woods since 2007 giving over 6000 hours of volunteer time. Almost everyone who attends has commented on how rewarding it is to contribute to a big community project such as Wick Woodlands.

Russell Miller, Tree Musketeers Activities Coordinator said:

"This award is further recognition of the amazing work done by Tree Musketeers. We engage hundreds of people every year in planting and caring for trees in the borough. Hackney Council has recently started working more closely with us so we can do even more to improve Hackney and the lives of those living here."

Get involved and find out when the next workshop is.