Nature is under threat in Maghull. As you will know every green space in Maghull appears to be a target for building, increasing our population between 25 and 40%, and the apparent absence of green reparation.
In recent years, sadly through risk assessed necessity, we have lost approximately 300 mature trees in our local parks, and only last year an ongoing programme to fell a further 58 mature trees on Northway and Gainsborough Avenue is taking place due to a second wave of Dutch Elm disease. Currently, 90% of all Ash Trees in the UK will die due to a tsunami of Ash dieback, even more worrying because the ash is the second most populous tree in the country. As a time when our country is one of most deforested in Europe.
Climate change is impacting the normal seasons, with many trees blossoming in winter, two consecutive years of drought in April and May, weakening the trees resources making them further susceptible to disease.
Seemingly No strategy! Locally, it is difficult to see any evidence of the government’s green recovery plan. Similarly, Sefton Council have like many other areas declared a climate emergency two years ago, which locally there seems no evidence of action, perhaps hampered by the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
Well-being. Look after nature and nature look after you as a well-known phrase and backed up with overwhelming evidence. Yet surprisingly Maghull is still considered below the national average for accessibility to green spaces, despite having 14 parks 19 open spaces. People often ask why can’t we have larger trees and more green landscaping features in our parks like they do Liverpool, our parks look so tidy but bland.
Yet it is well known, how trees can be beneficial in reversing climate change, improving biodiversity, reducing pollution, enhancing wellness and much, much more.
What are we doing to help?
The Friends of Maghull & District (FOMD) galvanised the community to plant 15,000 trees in the last two years, receiving considerable praise and prestigious accolades. However, many of these young trees are for our children’s children benefit and one year on since the planting and they desperately need a helping hand from our community (see request below). We have also negotiated long and hard with Mersey and Northern Forest to obtain £50,000 worth of larger trees to benefit our immediate generation for free, for which we are still waiting for local permission!
We know that the community cares passionately about the environment evidenced by the incredible support we had planting trees or improving green spaces. However, during the winter dormant period some of the previously planted trees need some one-off support to help them grow and mature. Our local maintenance team, were short staffed for a period leading to some neglect (overgrowth) and then damage in their haste to rectify the problem (strimmer damage), mainly concerning the trees planted in Pimbley Field and Hall Lane Park.
Can you help, before we start enlisting volunteers from outside Maghull?
Consequently, we want a huge team to tackle the problem over a short period of time before the growing season starts again. Please can you help? You can check out our website ‘Event Calendar’ for support requests or send an email to admin@fomd.co.uk
An example of three Elm trees at the historic pond on the Poppy Field site in Maghull, which has been affected by the second wave of Dutch Elm disease, killing many mature trees in Maghull.