On Saturday morning, May 15, several STT members joined members of Swords Woodland Association for a weeding session at Swords Manor. Orla from Easytreesie had organised two sessions for that day. We were joined by Councillor Ann Graves and her young grandson. It was lovely to see several other primary school children and their parents taking part in these weeding sessions too.
Orla explained why it was preferable to stomp on the weeds surrounding the young trees, that we’d planted on earlier occasions. The usual method of pulling out the weeds caused more disturbance to the plants, and some could be pulled out accidentally. Once the area adjacent to the trees had been flattened, mulch would be added to deter the growth of grass and weeds.
Young and old enjoyed the unusual experience of stomping around individual trees, flattening vegetation that was in competition with our young trees. The Spring sunshine and Orla’s chocolate added to the festive mood.
After a reviving hot drink at the local pub, many of us stayed for the afternoon session. We were joined by several new enthusiastic “stompers”. It was pleasing to see how much could be achieved in one day.
Swords Tidy Towns 