Click below to see launch video (1min:46secs)
Hope Wood
It’s planted! That’s over 25,000 trees in just two winters.
If you were one of those who picked up a spade – thank you! You did a great job! So much so that the excellent quality of your planting was highly commended by the Woodland Trust and the Community Forest who provided and funded the trees. They will be a lasting legacy to the community of South Brent, helping to create a beautiful area for people to enjoy as well as boosting the abundance and diversity of plants and animals locally.
Now the work starts to give those trees the best start in life and, more widely, to help native plants to thrive on the wonderfully diverse site, which includes wood pasture, streams and a wildflower meadow as well as woodland. If you visit the northern block you’ll see that recently-sown Yellow Rattle has germinated beautifully across the meadow, helping to weaken the arable rye grass and improve the conditions for wildflower colonisation. And along the Horse Brook and its tributary stream there is abundant willow and alder and it’s a haven for butterflies, moths and dragonflies.
Occasional volunteer work will continue under the supervision of ParkLife South West. Look out for announcements here, on social media and in Sustainable South Brent newsflashes. The entrances to both the southern and northern blocks are in Portford Lane which you can reach from Exeter Road along Palstone Lane or from Kerries Road near the entrance to Crowder Park. ParkLife usually put out directional signs starting from the Palstone Park Recreation Ground on volunteer days.
Work might include removing Himalayan Balsam from the banks of the streams, clearing long grass from the bases of small saplings or, eventually, removing tree guards and stakes. Necessary tools are usually provided but you may want to bring your own gardening gloves and wellies are the recommended footwear during all but the driest part of the year.
We very much hope to see you soon.
On Friday 5th December 2025, to help start us off, Rob Sekula from South Hams District Council joined the planting session. Rob is heading up the site management and has done a great deal to bring Hope Wood about. He is happy to answer any questions about what has happened so far at the site and how it might shape up over the next few years.
There were 12,500 trees to be planted this winter and with extra planting sessions, this was achieved by Easter!
The sessions are led by ParkLife South West and we meet just north of Portford Lane, South Brent at https://w3w.co/boldest.landscape.repay . ParkLife staff will be on hand to show us the best way to get the trees in the ground – all native trees, supplied and delivered in timely fashion by the Woodland Trust. Come dressed for the weather, with sturdy footwear. There’s no parking on site, so please walk from the village. Bring a spade, if you have one. And a drink and a snack, or two. Please feel free to assist for as long or short a time as you wish on as many, or as few, days as you want. Whatever works best for you.
We very much hope to see you soon.