30 commemorative trees are being planted as part of a shared vision for the future of one of the island’s best-loved public parks.
The project brings together Healthspan, Guernsey Trees for Life, and St Peter Port Parish to enhance Cambridge Park for the benefit of future generations.
The initiative forms part of Healthspan’s celebration of 30 years in Guernsey and the company has chosen to invest in something that will continue to grow and benefit the community for decades to come.
Healthspan’s generous support is being complemented by the expertise of Guernsey Trees for Life, which will also contribute funding towards eligible tree planting and replacement works through its Storm Goretti Tree Fund.
Together, the partners will restore and strengthen Cambridge Park’s tree population by replacing trees that have been lost over time while introducing carefully selected new specimens that complement the park’s character, enhance biodiversity and help build resilience to a changing climate.
Senior Constable Diane Mitchell said: “I think it’s quite important that we preserve the park in this format and it’s interesting because on social media yesterday there are a number of people saying, ‘Oh no, what are you doing? You’re destroying the park and they were really concerned about it.’
“So I think it’s the fact that we’re preserving it is one of the things that people will be interested in and will support.”
Martin Talbot CEO of Healthspan said: “We’ve been part of Guernsey and the community for 30 years, and we wanted to give back a little bit to the island, and we felt this was a way of doing that with something that had some sort of longevity.
“I go through this park every day, you know, and after the storms, we see the damage, and then there’s always a process of rehabilitation, that can take time.
“Being able to do something really substantive on something that we’ve seen has limited the aesthetic of the park for a period of time to be able to improve that and make it better and work with these guys is really good, very rewarding.”
Andy McCutcheon, Technical Officer at Guernsey Trees for Life, added: “This is a legacy project, it’s about planting for the future and we’re very pleased to be able to support this project.
It is part of the Storm Goretti Fund that we’re using, and we’re really pleased to be able to support this particular subject and to see this happening now with the stumps being taken out and removed, ready for the new trees to come in, is a very joyous sight to see.”
Together Healthspan, Guernsey Trees for Life and St Peter Port Parish share a common ambition: to leave Cambridge Park richer in trees, biodiversity and community value than it is today.
