Planting a Tree for Jerry

Jerry Dicker spent many years looking after the woods and was instrumental in setting up the Friends of Filnore Woods volunteer group. Sadly, Jerry passed away a little over a year ago and we thought that planting a tree in his memory would be a fitting and lasting gesture.

We decided to plant a Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) as it has lots of white, sweet scented flowers in spring that provide nectar and pollen for bees, while the foliage is the main food plant for the caterpillars of many moths and butterflies such as the Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni). When the small cherries are produced they are eaten by blackbirds, song thrushes and many other birds. Any that the birds leave are food for small mammals such as badgers, wood mouse and dormouse. In autumn the leaves fade to orange and deep crimson to give a flamboyant end to the year. I am sure that this would suit Jerry.

We sourced the tree from a local nursery in Rockhampton which is only a few miles from the woods, and chose to plant it up on the ridge near post 7 where there is a lovely view over the River Severn and the surrounding countryside. From there you can also see the church at Oldbury which is close to the school where Jerry was headteacher for a while.

On the day before the planting Graham and I went to the woods to prepare the planting site. We dug a square hole rather than a circular one so that the roots will grow into the corners and then onwards into the surrounding earth. In a circular hole they can end up going round in circles in the soft earth and not spread out as much.

The planting was on Sunday 9th February which coincided with our first scheduled work party of the month. The path going up the valley to the planting site was very muddy after a lot rain and it would be easy to slip or fall, but as it was a work party day we had time to deal with that before people coming for the planting arrived. 

Ten volunteers had come along, we had a lot of wood chip near the tool store and lots of bags. Very soon a chain of people formed. Some filled bags which were then carried by others to the path and spread over the muddy areas. They worked very hard doing this - carrying wood chip uphill over mud is tiring! The path was made a lot safer and easier to walk up. As you can see above, Cathy, Aiden and Erika took the opportunity for a quick sit down, while Andy and Peter just stood in their wellies.

Once everyone had arrived, there were twenty-five of us to take part in the planting. I took on the job of holding the tree.

With the tree correctly positioned, Jerry's daughter and grandson began to fill the hole using the excavated earth mixed with some tree compost.

More compost and earth was mixed by my helpers and gradually the hole was filled.

The earth in the filled hole was firmed in ...

... and the supporting wooden stake hammered in by Jerry's grandson, with a big mallet and a helping lift.

The weather was cloudy but that didn't spoil the occasion. It was lovely to see so many people come along to show their appreciation of all the work that Jerry did to make Filnore Woods the place it has become. The tree will be a lasting memorial to a wonderful person who will be missed.

Photos by Lorna Price