More than 650 people helped plant 3,800 saplings at a new community woodland in memory of Frome resident Moko Sellars on Saturday 7th March.
Tree varieties planted include common alder, goat willow, black poplar, English oak, European hornbeam and field maple, all native to the UK and chosen for their suitability to the terrain.
At the centre of the woodland is a clearing where a memorial tree to Moko has been planted by her friends and family. Moko was a nature lover who died aged 39 in 2022. Her friends and family wanted to create the woodland in her memory and launched a fundraiser to help make it happen.
They raised £25,000 for the project, which is a partnership between the landowners, who have granted a 99-year lease on the land free of charge, Frome Town Council and Moko’s friends and family.
James Hamilton of Bath-based SEED Landscape Design was among her close friends and created the design for the woodland. He started a GoFundMe for the woodland four years ago and said, “The idea started with a few trees planted in memory of a beloved friend and grew into something much bigger than one person, a woodland project that has brought the entire community together, from schools and volunteer groups to people passionate about our environment and Moko’s family and friends.
“A project I feel Moko would have been happy to be a part of and a catalyst for which has created a sanctuary for people and wildlife for generations to come.”
Frome town councillor Mark Dorrington said, “This has been a truly incredible community effort and no small feat of logistics. The site was divided into squares and the location of every tree determined in advance, marked by a colour-coded cane – very clever stuff, all thanks to SEED Landscape’s expertise. All that was needed was people to do the planting, in a crucial window of time and Frome provided. Thank you to everyone who came along and got muddy and thank you so much to the weather for cheering up, just in time. Thank you to Moko Sellars’ friends and family for raising the funds to plant the trees and of course, thank you to our fantastic ranger team for all their hard work before, during and after, in making this project a reality.”
Everyone who took part in the planting took home a ‘what3words’ reference for the square they helped to plant, meaning they can return to the exact location of the trees they planted in the future.
A representative of one of the six school groups that participated said, “It was a fantastic experience for the pupils, and it is lovely to know that they have contributed to creating an area that the local community and visitors will be able to enjoy for many years to come.”
With the planting complete, Frome Town Council is keen to hear residents’ thoughts about proposed play equipment at the site, woven into the landscape in a similar way to the woodland play area at Welshmill. The new My Frome platform has details of possible equipment and photos of similar installations elsewhere. Residents can browse the designs and vote for their favourites at tinyurl.com/play-equipment-spring-gardens.
