Green Dordon!
Welcome to our new Environment section. Here you can find the latest news about green issues affecting Dordon!
The Dordon Oaks Project |
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In October 2023 Dordon Parish Council, in collaboration with Dordon Primary School, held a picnic for the children of Owl class on Dordon Common underneath the protected oak tree in the middle of the common. The children collected acorns from underneath the tree. The following week Owl class planted the acorns into large pots and stored them outside their classroom. The acorns will hopefully grow into little oak trees and will be planted as Owl class move up to the Senior school. In four years hopefully 5 or 6 young oak saplings will be ready for planting in different areas around Dordon by the children. Underneath these saplings Dordon Parish Council will pay for a time capsule to be buried. The time capsule will include a picture of the children along with their stories and artwork and a photograph of the original Mother tree on Dordon Common and a photograph of the day each tree was planted and its location.
Dordon Parish Council are actively looking for sites where these saplings could be planted around the village as a means of promoting our green heritage and involving our young people in the future of their community.
Dordon Parish Council are actively looking for sites where these saplings could be planted around the village as a means of promoting our green heritage and involving our young people in the future of their community.
The Kitwood trees
Following up on reports that some of the newly planted trees at Kitwood have been suffering, Councillors visited the site to check up on them. The good news is that, while there is some evidence of vandalism, by far the majority of the trees are thriving!
Remember, trees are able to clean the air and absorb harmful airborne pollutants. This improves the air quality around the trees and contributes to a healthier and cleaner environment overall. Trees also soak up the harmful carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same volume of carbon monoxide as produced from a 26,000 mile car journey! Aside from cleaning the air for us, trees supply us with fresh oxygen to breathe.
So let's look after our trees and keep Dordon green!
Remember, trees are able to clean the air and absorb harmful airborne pollutants. This improves the air quality around the trees and contributes to a healthier and cleaner environment overall. Trees also soak up the harmful carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same volume of carbon monoxide as produced from a 26,000 mile car journey! Aside from cleaning the air for us, trees supply us with fresh oxygen to breathe.
So let's look after our trees and keep Dordon green!
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Saving our precious trees!
As you walk around the proposed H4 site, i.e. Dunns Lane, Dordon Wood, Sandyway Lane etc. you will notice over 100 individual trees, copses and whole woods (e.g. Hollies Wood) have notices on them as we are trying to protect them with a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). A TPO would stop developers and landowners from felling, lopping, uprooting, or damaging these historic trees in any way. If you would like to support this initiative, please email Annie Ryan, North Warwickshire Borough Council at [email protected]
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Warwickshire County Council Draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan
Warwickshire County Council have produced a plan for local cycle and walking ways.
Click here to see the proposed plans for North Warwickshire!
Click here for details of the consultation which was carried out
It's good news for Dordon, as it includes several of the footpaths and cycleways we highlighted in our Neighbourhood Plan, including the Coffin Trail, much loved by the residents of Dordon - it's great to see the County Council thinking along the same lines!
Click here to see the proposed plans for North Warwickshire!
Click here for details of the consultation which was carried out
It's good news for Dordon, as it includes several of the footpaths and cycleways we highlighted in our Neighbourhood Plan, including the Coffin Trail, much loved by the residents of Dordon - it's great to see the County Council thinking along the same lines!
Dordon's own Autumn watch!
Have a look at the footage and photos below, to see some examples of the wildlife living in the woodlands and wild spaces in our Parish!
Many thanks to Paul Fulleylove and Davina Ridley for sharing the images and footage with us!
Many thanks to Paul Fulleylove and Davina Ridley for sharing the images and footage with us!
Free trees for Schools and Communities! Check out this link to see an exciting new initiative from the Woodland Trust!
Tree Planting at Freasley
30/07/2021
Next year in commemoration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee a tree will be planted on Freasley Common. It seems that Freasley has quite a tradition of commemorative tree planting. An Oak tree was planted for one of Queen Victoria’s Jubilees (in either 1887 or 1897).
Another oak tree was planted in 1935 to celebrate George V’s Silver Jubilee. This was widely reported in the Tamworth Herald. In May the village was decorated with red, white, and blue bunting and a “meat tea” was provided for the villagers. There were donkey rides for the children and Tug o’ War competitions for men and women. The evening ended with a bonfire and fireworks.
Next year in commemoration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee a tree will be planted on Freasley Common. It seems that Freasley has quite a tradition of commemorative tree planting. An Oak tree was planted for one of Queen Victoria’s Jubilees (in either 1887 or 1897).
Another oak tree was planted in 1935 to celebrate George V’s Silver Jubilee. This was widely reported in the Tamworth Herald. In May the village was decorated with red, white, and blue bunting and a “meat tea” was provided for the villagers. There were donkey rides for the children and Tug o’ War competitions for men and women. The evening ended with a bonfire and fireworks.
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Tamworth Herald May 18th 1935
Later that year in November an oak tree was planted.
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Tamworth Herald 30th November 1935.
Many thanks to Andrew Dodson for taking this picture of the oak tree planted most likely for George V’s Silver Jubilee.
Two years later in November 1937 another tree was planted for the Coronation of George VI; although briefly mentioned in the Tamworth Herald no other details could be found.
A beautiful Copper Beech marks the Coronation of the Queen in 1953.
Two years later in November 1937 another tree was planted for the Coronation of George VI; although briefly mentioned in the Tamworth Herald no other details could be found.
A beautiful Copper Beech marks the Coronation of the Queen in 1953.
Many thanks to Andrew Dodson for the photo.
If you are in the area this beautiful and historic common, now under the care of the Parish Council, is well worth a visit.
If you are in the area this beautiful and historic common, now under the care of the Parish Council, is well worth a visit.
The Great Dordon Birdwatch!
14/06/2021
When you next visit one of the green spaces in our village, look out for some of Dordon’s most colourful avian residents! We are lucky to have such a wide variety of birdlife living on our doorstep.
Hopefully the pictures below, of some of the species of birds which have been spotted in Long Street Recreation Ground, will help you to identify our feathered friends. If you hover over the pictures, you will see the names of the birds. See how many you can spot in the hedges and trees around the village!
Many thanks to Adam Archer whose help has been invaluable.
...and also many thanks to the keen-eyed birdwatcher who spotted that our original photograph of a "Blackcap" was in fact a Willow Tit!
When you next visit one of the green spaces in our village, look out for some of Dordon’s most colourful avian residents! We are lucky to have such a wide variety of birdlife living on our doorstep.
Hopefully the pictures below, of some of the species of birds which have been spotted in Long Street Recreation Ground, will help you to identify our feathered friends. If you hover over the pictures, you will see the names of the birds. See how many you can spot in the hedges and trees around the village!
Many thanks to Adam Archer whose help has been invaluable.
...and also many thanks to the keen-eyed birdwatcher who spotted that our original photograph of a "Blackcap" was in fact a Willow Tit!
We believe in Recycling!
One of the best examples of this is our amazing professional grade kitchen. Although it was a costly enterprise, in fact we got a bargain thanks to a brilliant idea of Councillor Carmel Morson. We took a perfectly good commercial grade kitchen from the Adult Learning Centre in the Shortwoods that would have been scrapped and installed it at the village hall!
Obviously, we had to pay for its removal from the Shortwoods, ripping out our old kitchen, which was not fit for purpose, rewiring, replumbing, fitting new wall coverings and making sure everything was up to new Health and Safety Standards. However, what we now have is one of the best kitchens you will find in any village hall. Over the pandemic it has been put to good use providing meals for the vulnerable and isolated. Now we are reopening, and it is ready for hire!
It's great to think that perfectly good and expensive fixtures were saved and put to use again.
One of the best examples of this is our amazing professional grade kitchen. Although it was a costly enterprise, in fact we got a bargain thanks to a brilliant idea of Councillor Carmel Morson. We took a perfectly good commercial grade kitchen from the Adult Learning Centre in the Shortwoods that would have been scrapped and installed it at the village hall!
Obviously, we had to pay for its removal from the Shortwoods, ripping out our old kitchen, which was not fit for purpose, rewiring, replumbing, fitting new wall coverings and making sure everything was up to new Health and Safety Standards. However, what we now have is one of the best kitchens you will find in any village hall. Over the pandemic it has been put to good use providing meals for the vulnerable and isolated. Now we are reopening, and it is ready for hire!
It's great to think that perfectly good and expensive fixtures were saved and put to use again.
Great News!
14/05/2021
Finally... after two years, our iconic oak tree in the middle of Dordon Common now has a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) protecting it for future generations living in Dordon!
Many thanks to Andy Watkins, Green Spaces Officer for North Warwickshire Borough Council, who came out in the rain in 2019 to survey this tree, and has supported us with advice throughout this lengthy process.
14/05/2021
Finally... after two years, our iconic oak tree in the middle of Dordon Common now has a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) protecting it for future generations living in Dordon!
Many thanks to Andy Watkins, Green Spaces Officer for North Warwickshire Borough Council, who came out in the rain in 2019 to survey this tree, and has supported us with advice throughout this lengthy process.
