Caring Connections
On a recent Tuesday morning, Changes Bristol members, staff, and volunteers spent the day at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, to mulch trees they planted in January.
We started the day chatting with the wonderful volunteers and staff about the Community Project and its aim to replant five hectares of Silk Wood. This was integral to preserving the forestland as a Chalara ash dieback outbreak infected most of the trees, resulting in them being felled.
The staff then taught us how to mulch trees: a process whereby you de-weed the base of a tree sapling and spread mulch into a doughnut-like shape around it. I learned that mulch is a layer of material spread across the surface of the soil to prevent water from evaporating, suppress weeds, and generally improve the surrounding soil and conditions for the plant. We used a mulch comprised of wood and bark chippings.
What a rewarding experience it was to care for the saplings, it felt like a nod to posterity. The historical and mutually beneficial relationship between humans and trees became apparent to me. I knew that engaging in activities fostering connection to nature positively impacts mental well-being (Nisbet et al. 2020) and was aware of our cooperative respiration systems, still, there is a difference between reading about, and actually experiencing these things.
After working for the forest I felt my stress levels decrease, a sense of satisfaction with my work, and an increased connectedness to nature: a connectedness which sprouted from appreciating the roots of our symbiotic relationship with trees. This left me with a newfound motivation to nurse and care for trees, as they have done for humans for millennia.
Overall, I had a rewarding and reflective experience at the Arboretum, and I encourage anyone thinking about volunteering or getting involved to go for it! Reignite that primitive relationship with nature, gain a new appreciation of our age-old relationship with trees, and help future generations breathe.
Changes Bristol provide peer support groups for anyone aged 18 or over, offering a space for people to share any worries they might have. Find out more at https://changesbristol.org.uk/
Written by Savannah Lloyd, Placement Student, Changes Bristol
