Managing Willow Pollards
Marking the completion of a successful project of tree surgery and tree planting, the Pollards and Poplars Interpretation boards were installed recently along the Stort Valley. The information boards, which provide information about the importance of these special trees in the local landscape, are now to be found at Harlow Town Park, Pishiobury Park in Sawbridgeworth and at Waytemore Castle in Bishops Stortford. The accompanying leaflet is also available now in various local libraries, tourist information centres and local council offices.
The two year project in the Stort Valley has enabled CMS and local landowners to restore 56 mature lapsed pollards, create 80 new pollards and plant 96 native black poplars with the help of local volunteers. As a result of meeting new people through the project, CMS have helped a local landowner to enter 118Ha of farmland into agri-environment schemes with Natural England.
The further support landowners with mature lapsed pollards, we have produced a new guide that people can download and print at home: Managing Willow Pollards (pdf, 5mb). This will offer useful tips for landowners and land managers that will help them make the correct decisions relating to riverside and wetland tree management.
