Between the planting PAR – TEEs Gringo’s Cantina at 119 Broombridge Rd, Cabra West, Dublin 7 is where we shall be meeting Head Gardener, Mick Burke tomorrow for a nice coffee, or “Tea-off”.
After that we shall be all set up beside the golf club which is just across the road to be all ready for the children’s arrival at 9.30, 11 and 1. We plan to head back to Gringo’s when the children head back for lunch and get a sandwich – all volunteers welcome – before the second wave at 1 p.m. Come well wrapped up with raincoat as usual and wellies or waterproof boots and change of shoes, there may be some rain at 11 but it is due to be gone by 12 so fingers crossed as usual.
We are very grateful to Dublin City Council for their most welcome sponsorship of this event and to Coillte for the 1,000 saplings they have provided for the Tolka Valley Project which will include Red Alder (Alnus Rubus).
Pedunculate Oak (Quercus Robur).
Maple (Acer …have to check on its exact name; yes we know it is not a native but we all love maple syrup, right?)
Beech (Fagus Sylvatica)
Silver birch (Betula Pendula).
So thank you much for volunteering to come, your contribution will be greatly appreciated! And needed! Gloves and spades provided as usual.
Making Dublin’s rivers even MORE beautiful!
Last week’s event as described below is when we planted 400 plus trees!!!
Join us on Friday next, March 8th at 11.00a.m. and 1.00 p.m. meeting at the Golf Course pedestrian entrance on Ballyboggan Road (across from Gringo’s café), Finglas where we will be joined by children from the local school, St. Malachy’s National School of St. Helena’s Road. This promises to be a great event, adding to the existing stunning variety of native and nativised trees enhancing this beautiful valley landscape. The specially selected native saplings will contribute to purifying the water in this river, a favourite at the moment of four local swans – 2 adult and 2 youngsters who do not want to leave home!
Last Friday’s workshop with the Green Committee got the children thinking of the many benefits of adding more trees to this park where the water quality is now at a very impressive Level 3 due to careful stewardship by the Dublin City Council staff under the leadership of Head Gardiner Michael.
Further planting parties are planned for Wednesday March 13th at 9.30, 11.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. St. Finian’s school nearby are planning amazing things with the extree-ordinary Paddy Madden and his brother for their stunning grounds so Michael has a little surprise for them too in terms of a Tree-t. Volunteers are cordially invited to join us as the children will appreciate all the help they can get to achieve their ambitious target of tree planting a long stretch of the valley before St. Patrick’s Day – an ideal time of the year for the planting of bare-root saplings. It is recommended that you bring a change of shoes and socks – Wellington or other boots would be even better – and we always recommend a raincoat and either cycling leggings or a change of bottoms because we guarantee mud. You may not mind mud but you will not want to be tramping it into school or sitting in muddy trousers for the day.
Gloves and tools will be provided. A safety talk and brief talk about why we are planting trees to combat climate change will be included. It is really exciting to be back planting in Dublin City after kicking off our project here in Dr. Steeven’s Hospital on Culture Night with the planting of a tree on the Liffey. Not too many Dublin rivers left so, now there is an idea! Well lining the rivers with trees even the smallest of the children know is a good idea to stop flooding using tree technology!
Easy Treesie 