Eden community tree nursery: Good things come in trees

Part of project: Access to Eden: breaking barriers, building bridges

Thanks to National Lottery Players and Eden District Council, in October 2022 Eden Rivers Trust took control of a plot of land on an allotment in Penrith. The dream? To create a community tree nursery that would open a doorway to conservation; a place accessible to all, where local people, volunteers and community groups could learn about trees and the river and work together; growing and nurturing locally-sourced seeds.

The resulting native saplings will be planted on river conservation sites throughout the Eden catchment; creating food and homes for wildlife; helping manage the flow of water over land and storing carbon.

Follow our progress with Jenni (Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator) and the volunteers and community groups who are embarking on this adventure with us.

Read the latest Good things come in trees blog

Or…why not experience the wonderful nursery first hand by coming along to one of our twice weekly work parties to help us grow our saplings.

There’s always lots to do. If you’re up for a spot of painting, planting, building, cleaning, chopping, tidying or digging then we’d love to see you and you’ll be made to feel very welcome!

More information about volunteering and lending a hand at the nursery>

Spring 2025 Update

The Eden Community Tree Nursery is as much about the people who come and help us and the space they’ve made as it is about the trees. Regular plotters (their re-naming) have made close friendships, set up their own WhatsApp group, introduced their mates and support each other outside their involvement with ERT. The sessions are described as ‘me time’, ‘somewhere where I can forget the hassle’, ‘time to re-connect’ and ‘a place where everyone is important’.

After their corporate session last year, Highlights Northwest were inspired to schedule quarterly visits through 2025 – ‘I think it can help me think differently – away from the computer, the spreadsheets, the emails. And it’s lovely to be able to give something back to our local area too.’

Local people are including a visit as part of a lunchtime walk and bring us baby trees they have grown, or sometimes biscuits they have made. One regular visitor comes ‘to be among friends, breathe clean air and share the spring’.

The trees have been equally successful. Seeds prepped and planted have started to sprout a forest of 250 rowan tree seedlings. Working with the seeds and caring for them as they grow has brought our volunteers a wider understanding of both trees and environment and a desire to keep learning more.

In pictures…

Eden Community Tree Nursery boundary and location

Spring 2025: Our native saplings thriving on a spring day in Penrith

Spring 2025: It's not all work and no play. Friendship, tea and biscuits are a vital ingredient of our success!

Spring 2025: Wrestling snakes! 'Leaky' piping being wrestled into submission ready for laying into our freshly dug trenches to complete our 'French' drains on the site.

Apr 2025: Jenni wresting with willow and weaving magic as we finish the construction of a willow den at the Penrith Community Tree Nursery

Apr 2025 - The National Gas team lending us a hand installing our mini French drain

Spring 2025: Housing for new water butts. Installed just as the hot weather arrived but no doubt the rain will be back!

Spring 2025: Seed sewing at the tree nursery. Seeds are collected from local sites to bolster our native stock of trees

Volunteers are feeling the heat as April 2025 delivers the sunshine

We held an extra days activities as we gave a warm welcome to Beaumont College students who built a very grand high rise bug hotel

Aug 2024: Native trees will be nurtured at the nursery to be planted at sites throughout the Eden Valley catchment area.

Aug 2024: Composting Workshop held at the tree nursery sharing best practice for creating amazing compost!

Apr 2024: Nursery sign created by one of our multi-talented volunteers

Two women dancing on a plastic layer of paving

April 2023: Our volunteers making a song and dance about laying Easy-Pave

Stones, plants and driftwood bed at the front of the nursery.

April 2023: 'river of stones' at the front of the nursery.

Two blue water butts with a bed of tall plants in front of them.

May 2023: Water butts and planting at the tree nursery.

A row of black pots containing trees with leaves growing on them.

May 2023: trees growing at the nursery

woman pointing at a seedling in a tray under a wire frame.

May 2023: Jenni tending to seedlings,

Group of people in a circle digging soil ready to plant trees

Sept 2023: Volunteers preparing ground for trees.

May 23: Local allotment holders and growers bearing gifts for our open day!

Row of saplings with green leaves growing.

May 23: Saplings growing well!

Group of boys crouched around a wheelbarrow using garden trowels,

Oct 2023: Students from Ullswater Community College enjoying some planting.

A wheelchair user wheeling himself along a flat, gravel path at the tree nursery.

Oct 2023: Testing out the finished Easy-Pave accessible path.

View of the path, beds and potting table at the tree nursery

Oct 2023: A view through the nursery.

Wooden shed extension with chairs and kit inside.

Oct 2023: Shed extension built by the talented volunteer Andy Tomlinson, helped by the others!

Creating our wonderful space in 2022

Empty allotment site seen through a fence

Oct 2022: Welcome to the tree nursery!

Two people digging the ground using sapdes

Oct 2022: Volunteers hard at work clearing the site

Oct 2022: Our 'river' ready for planting

Nov 2022: Rear of the tree nursery. Photo: Ben Challis

Nov 2022: The back fence was a bit of an eyesore. So the volunteers took charge ...

Nov 2022: ... and now, the brand-new, hand-made pallet fence gets a coat of wood stain.

Nov 2022: Volunteers clearing the site

Nov 2022: Seed tray made by ERT volunteer, Andy

Nov 2022: Our talented volunteers made a potting table

Nov 2022: Planting already! Photo: Ben Challis

Nov 2022: The neighbours are keeping a close eye on developments

Group of people in winter coats and hats all holding plant pots containing tree whips

Dec 22: The tree nursery volunteer team!

Dec 22: Volunteers from PPM helping to paint accessible potting benches.

Dec 22: Staff from local company, PPM Ltd come along to lend a hand.

Three people building a potting bench using wooden pallets

Dec 22: Building accessible potting benches from wooden pallets

A woman holds up a round wreath made from willow woven into a circle.

Dec 22: ERT's Anna Holliday showing off her willow wreath frame.

Group of women around a table festooned with greenery and willow branches.

Dec 22: Christmas willow wreath workshop.

A group of people weaving willow in between wooden uprights.

Dec 22: the new willow fence starts to take shape.

This project is supported by the Access to Eden: breaking barriers, building bridges partnership project led by Eden Rivers Trust with a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks also to the Garfield Weston Foundation and Penrith Town Council for their support during 2024.

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So far ...

The mix of regular, bespoke and community sessions is working well. Students and staff from Beaumont College are enjoying access to the tree nursery as an accessible venue for their own outdoor learning. Furthering this, Eden Rivers Trust (ERT) is currently helping to design a space for growing and caring for young trees at the College’s own allotment in Carlisle.

Informal plant ID sessions have helped to maintain the energy, interest and learning alongside practical work taking place at the nursery. Collaborative planning has reinforced the role of volunteers in driving and directing developments and activities in what has been a crucial year in establishing the tree nursery.

ERT has been working closely with PACT (Penrith Action for Sustainability) and Cumbria Wildlife Trust, joining forces to promote the growing and use of native trees at community events and at the tree nursery. Partnerships like these help us reach new audiences, establish a focus for more sustainable living in Penrith and allow us all to share resources to achieve the best outcomes.

Volunteers have cleared and prepared the tree nursery site.

Seeds were collected locally and planted during winter 22/23.

A shed extension has been built to give more shelter/a place to put things.

Easy-Pave path laid through the site so that wheelchair users can access the tree nursery.

44 sessions have been held at the tree nursery, welcoming local people who experience barriers to getting out into nature.

5 training sessions have been held

Plan produced by the ‘Tree Nursery team‘ for site and code of conduct.

Challenge

To establish an accessible community tree nursery in the heart of Penrith that will open a doorway to the world of conservation for local people.

A place where people can:

spend quality time in the great outdoors, develop their ‘green fingers’ and learn about trees, rivers, conservation, flood and drought management,
feel empowered to tackle the climate crisis by providing tangible opportunities at a local scale – helping to improve biodiversity, reduce carbon, mitigate flooding and enhance biodiversity,

Over time, the fruits (well trees!) of their labour will be used to enhance habitat throughout the Eden catchment with native tree species that host native wildlife and connect up habitats.

Approach

As a new venture for ERT, we will learn along with the volunteers, community groups and other partners who are embarking on this adventure with us.

We are working with local people and comunity groups from the outset in consultation about how they want the tree nursery to look, in design and construction and how it will be managed.