On Earth Day 2021, we thought we’d share an update from GemCap UK Chief Executive Stuart Alexander’s niece Cari, who manages our community woodland project in the High Peak District. We take our commitment to ESG seriously, and always strive to get really involved in our community projects and environmental efforts.
“Platt’s Wood came into fruition back in 2013/4 when my twin uncles Phil and Stuart decided they wanted to gift the five acres of land that we had inherited as a family to the good people of Hayfield (the land was passed down to us by my late grandmother Constance Platt – hence Platt’s Wood). So we put the land in a Trust and the task was passed to me to oversee, as I was fresh out of Uni, having handily studied Countryside Management.
Together we decided that planting a woodland would be the best way we could improve the land and do our bit for local wildlife and improve the biodiversity of the site. So we did. And now nearly 2000 trees have been planted by the local community, with much more planned in the next year or so.
We are working on improving our wildflower meadow, we hope to plant all sorts of plants to increase our woodland flora and hope to have some Derbyshire-variety fruit trees on site soon.
We’ve achieved lots in the last few years but there is still a lot to do at the Wood, but the great thing about trees is that they take their time…and as they grow, we learn.”
You can follow progress at Platt’s Wood Project via the Platt’s Wood Project Facebook page.