Owl Logo for Shere Kitchens - beautiful kitchens handmade in Shere Guildford Surrey

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Tree planting for every kitchen we make

Tree planting for every kitchen we make


2 minute read

You may have read about our tree planting project on the Community page on our website. It’s a project we’re so proud to work on & so grateful to everyone involved.

We decided early on to plant a tree for every kitchen we make, to pay back a little extra for the wood we enjoy working with to make our bespoke kitchen cupboards. Doing something to enhance the Surrey Hills landscape, where we are so lucky to live & work, is so important to us. We want to be able to look back when our children are grown, and know that we did our best. Wendy Varcoe from Surrey Hills Enterprises connected us with Clandon Wood - our local Nature Reserve - somewhere we could plant trees, where they were actually needed, where they could thrive and really add to the Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty.

Simon, Gareth & Matt at Clandon Wood told us all about the White-Letter Hairstreak butterfly. It was once a common butterfly when England’s woods and hedgerows abounded in elms, but when Dutch Elm Disease struck, it did not just destroy the trees; it put this butterfly in danger of extinction as its whole life cycle revolves around elms. So we are planting disease resistant elms to try and create ‘stepping stones’ to connect the separate populations of the rare butterfly. It is really wonderful that our tree planting could have wider conservation impact.

We are over the moon to have collaboratively inspired other companies in the Surrey Hills to start their own conservation projects to protect our local environment. We’re also chuffed to be working with Surrey County Council to help develop their Tree Friendly Programme.

In 2020 more special elm trees will be planted, so we can look forward to seeing the wildlife corridor strengthen for the endangered White-Letter Hairstreak butterfly.

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