The Challenge
The aim was to establish mixed broadleaf trees on farmland adjacent to existing woodland, where Roe deer and rabbits are plentiful.
The site falls within the HS2 ‘buffer’ zone and therefore attracts strong incentives for landowners to plant trees to mitigate the impact of the planned HS2 rail route. However, with land values high in the area, woodland planting schemes tend to be mainly ‘jigsaw’ plantings (filling in gaps between existing woods), or re-stocks (replacing trees that have recently been felled as part of a woodland management program), which don’t count as new planting and therefore do not qualify for HS2 premium payments.
Biome Technologies plc (LON:BIOM) Biome Bioplastics and Suregreen partnered to create biodegradable tree shelters. The Vigilis Bio tree shelters are made from biodegradable biomaterials and have specifically been designed to guard and protect the first 5-7 years of a tree’s life.
