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Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

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About

A Tree which moves some to tears of joy
is in the eyes of others only a green thing in the way….
As a Wo/Man is, so s/he sees.

William Blake … More

Hello, and welcome to Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend). Because every tree tells a story and has a time honoured place within our communities.

We are a committed collective with a shared interest in the protection and regeneration of our street trees in Southend. Let us know your location and how you wish to be involved. See Announcements Section!

Our group formed initially due to the increasing number of mature street trees being removed across Southend, 3,000 in 10 years - at the height of a climate emergency we need trees more than ever.

Mature Street Trees are Assets of Immense Community Value - by removing them we are detracting from our towns collective health and well being. These trees cannot be replaced in our lifetime and benefit us in:

1) Reducing the urban heat island effect and to keep us cool,
2) Filtering ever increasing levels of harmful airborne pollution,
3) Enhance wellbeing and mental health,
4) Provide oxygen that can counter the direct effects of air pollution
5) Long term carbon sinks,
6) Ground stabilisation,
7) Provide essential habitat to birds and wildlife,
8) Water attenuation,
9) Net benefit to property values
10) Providing coppicing for bio-mass fuel

Our mission is to raise awareness on the importance of trees, and to collaborate in protecting the trees we have whilst replanting new ones.

We are also aiming to cultivate tree saplings and to embark on a Borough/County wide replanting strategy across Southend and beyond - and to even plant 'pocket forests’ and wild meadows where appropriate.

We appreciate there are genuine reasons why SOME trees are removed - we therefore want to work with key stakeholders on a joint investigations team to look at all possible alternatives and what measures we can take to prevent all non dangerous felling.

We urge local councils to align their Tree Policies with UK Government and the Forestry commissions' updated policies. We want to STOP-THE-CHOP and help revise policy so that it can be up-to-date and appropriate to the times we live in and are facing.

Despite some mature trees being a pain with their roots and foliage - we know that the benefits far far outweigh the drawbacks - yet with a little more forward planning we could remedy many of the problems associated with their removal.

What transpired in Sheffield - where many thousands of street trees were felled - is that it recently came to light that some 66% of trees earmarked for removal were not necessary or justified. We want to avoid this senario.

On a positive note, many councils do have a replacement sapling strategy - but not nearly enough - also, we rarely see replacements in the streets where trees are removed. Nor in a forward planning way.

We hope you can join us in giving a little time helping the cause in protecting and planting trees and green spaces 🌳

Announcements

See all (6)

Richard Longstaff‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

10 July 2019 at 21:32

🙅‍♀️🌳🙅‍♂️ Volunteer Teams 🙅🏻‍♀️🌳🙅🏻‍♂️

🌳WE NEED YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT - CHECK
THE LIST HERE - tell us where you'd like to join in?🌳

🙅🏼‍♀️ Where and how would you like to be involved?

🤳🏻 What skills do you have?

… More

Many of you have kindly offered to help - knowing your specific skill sets and where/how you would like to be involved would be useful..... please add you name to a role below:

Without supporting each other in solidarity and spirit our aims and objectives will not be possible.

Priority Roles in the wider group would include:

Tree Planting/Growing Saplings

Carlos Martí Sue Fitzsimmons/Adrian Fitzsimmons Richard Longstaff Dave Crix Liz Bleach Bosco Desouza Fly Agaric Sam… More

New activity

Alan Deeney‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

9 hrs

Vibrant after the rain 🌳🌏

once.upon.a.tree.southend‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

17 hrs

Always sad to see mature street trees fall in stormy weather. Street trees have difficulty taking root in the hard compact ground so their roots are comparably shallow and structurally vulnerable.

One way of… More resolving this is to dig a much larger hole when planting to give the young saplings opportunity to establish more consolidated deeper roots.

But this adds costs to planting - we see a lot of stunted young trees that have been just planted directly into hard ground.

What are your thoughts?

Alicia Hegarty‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

13 hrs

You have your own Cider 🍎🍏🍺☺️

Richard Longstaff shared a link.

5 July 2019 at 18:47

Hi folks - Firstly a warm welcome and thank you to all those who have recently joined us - over 100 in the past week 💚 Please read the posts and comment where appropriate - we'd love to hear from you!

CALLING… More FOR LOCAL SUPPORT - HERE'S THE COUNCILS REMOVAL LIST 🌳 trees planned to be felled..... - Please check your street and send a recent photo of any trees from the list - or that you'd like to protect - I have started to research some of these trees on Google Street View to document them as screen shots in a one page word file, see pic..... It would be useful if we could do this for the trees in our location so that we have an evidence base to start with......thanks for you support 💚🌳💚🙏🏼

SOUTHEND.GOV.UK

Trees for Removal | Trees for Removal | Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

Details on tree removals within Southend, including the location and species of the tree and why it was removed.

Alan Deeney shared a link.

12 May at 12:03

HS2 makes me cry 😢

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s6MAxf9yvl4&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1eKSsIdEZxjluo1JaSSt2PH-fdOEEHv_MZkdj638IJhvhuDVeWO8Y4w3c

YOUTUBE.COM

Inside the Battle Over the UK’s Ancient Woodlands

Overlooking the Chilterns in the heart of the English countryside, Jones Hill Wood is an ancient woodland which is due to be felled for the controversial HS2...

Andy White shared a link.

11 May at 19:41

ACTIONNETWORK.ORG

actionnetwork.org

A version of this action that uses less javacript and may be usable for those who don't use javascript is available at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/oppose-the-destruction-of-green-belt-land-in-north-shoebury?nowrapper=true&referrer=&source=facebook&oneclick=

Claire Robson‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

11 May at 13:34

🌳❤️🌳
Question: The trees on St John’s Road (beautiful) are slowly disappearing (being chopped down) with just the stump left behind. Residents were given the impression that they would be replaced with other trees, but recently a stump has been removed and paved over... 😞...
Is there a way to ensure that the Council replaces chopped down trees in the place they were chopped down from, rather than planting a tree elsewhere? (I didn’t move here to live on a stump-lined road!)

Andy White shared a link.

11 May at 19:41

ACTIONNETWORK.ORG

actionnetwork.org

Alan Deeney‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

8 May at 15:17

Leigh cliff park, this is what happens when you stop mowing and tidying everything to within an inch of its life and give nature a chance to come back in. Well done Leigh council! 🌳🌏

Play Video

Jacqueline Snape shared a post.

11 May at 08:52

Jacqueline Snape shared a post to the group: Save the trees in Wickford.

11 May at 05:07

Borrowed from my wise friend, Lulu, Bb.

Lulu Pagan Teacher and Practitioner- Astrology, Runes, Tarot, Wicca

10 May at 09:22

Recently on a Woodland Walk I led we discussed dryas- the Earth Elementals who are Guardians of trees, and I explained how the ancient Celts believed we had the opportunity to reincarnate as a tree. There is always a face to be found in a tree. Take your time and really look and you will find it. Blessed be Lulu )O(

Richard Longstaff‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

9 May at 12:40

Seemingly Brutal Pollarding in Southchurch Park? Before and after shots - Would like to see the tree officers advice on this one? Locals frequenting this park were devastated to see this and tagged me! Some… More answers needed around this one 😕

Okay, so it appears there was some structural damage due to the Storm force winds last week - this is normal with trees - and it wasn't just "windy" - perhaps needn’t be so brutal - but that's the Arborists judgement?

Conclusion is we can't comment as we didn't see the damage. But lots of speculation as why the so brutal pollarding. The willows canopy will return - however, it will be a good number of years before it returns to its former glory.

May be an image of tree and body of water

Sherry Fuller‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

9 May at 13:39

Not trees, but same principle. Few days ago I was remarking how the Prittlebrook was a great green corridor for bees and butterflies with all the nettles and wildflowers. Now, it looks like this. Why?! It's not like people are stopping along the way for picnics!

Alan Deeney‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

7 May at 12:05

Leigh cliff park, well done to the council for no longer mowing this park. The birds and the bees are out in force today. A victory for common sense! 😁🌳🌏

May be an image of flower, grass and nature

Jacqueline Snape shared a link.

9 May at 07:30

I follow your group with interest and share our similar efforts in Wickford with you. Let us maintain the vigilance. 🌳

BASILDON.NUB.NEWS

Cry Freedom and let's stop this sale says protest group over open space sell-off and building plan

CAMPAIGNERS bidding to save an open space in Wickford being sold off say they have just days left to save the site – and are calling on the new Conservative administration at Basildon Council to block any deal – saying action will come in the nick of time.

Sally Newman-Russell shared a post.

28 April at 19:42

Chercheur de miel

12 July 2019 at 17:16

La saison des fruits approche : prunes, pêches, nèfles, cerises, abricots… Je demande à tout le monde de NE PAS JETER les noyaux à la poubelle mais plutôt de les laver, de les sécher (au soleil) et ensuite de… More les stocker dans un sac en papier à garder dans la voiture. A chaque sortie dans la campagne, ou bien en circulant en voiture dans une campagne déserte, jetez des noyaux.
Si, par cette simple action, nous pouvons contribuer par un nouvel arbre à chaque saison, notre mission de reverdir ce monde sera remplie 🌿🌱💕💚🌍🙏🏻
Le gouvernement thaïlandais a promu cette action auprès de tous ses citoyens durant ces dernières années.
Plusieurs régions ont ainsi mené une campagne intensive avec un… More

Alan Deeney‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

8 May at 08:17

Just went down to the grove of trees at Lundy Close that the council are proposing to cut down in a climate emergency. Please have your say and write to the council and object. Details can be found in photo. Thanks 🌳

Sy John Ewing‎Once-Upon-a-Tree (Southend)

8 May at 15:46

Anyone seen that they are going to chop down a young sapling Ian Thomas Mc just near the old anchor just noticed it today.

James Vessey-Miller shared a post.

8 May at 17:18

Do you have an opinion about Southend or Southend Council?

Is crime, litter, or housing a problem in your neighbourhood?

Would you like something done about it?

The South East Essex Green Party are conducting a… More survey of the residents of Southend, and they’re looking for a wide range of views. Every response will be looked at.

Please do complete the survey (it only takes 60seconds) and share to improve the feedback. Make your voice heard!

Thanks!