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More Trees Now rescues excess saplings for a second chance elsewhere. Excess saplings are young trees that are growing up in places where they cannot mature. Along walking paths, in peat bogs, and so on. They wither or are removed in routine forest management. On harvest days, these trees and shrubs are scooped out and thus saved.
From November to March, most plants are dormant and there is no movement of juices through the roots, branches and leaves. This is the time when you can harvest seedlings, shoots and cuttings without them suffering much. On harvest days, a group of volunteers gather at a harvest site to harvest disadvantaged trees and shrubs. At the end of the day, the harvest is picked up for a planting site or taken away to a Tree Hub, where it is temporarily stored.
A group of volunteers gather at a harvest site. The harvesting can begin! The harvest supervisor explains the purpose of the day; Do you remove all seedlings within a metre of the footpath? Or do you just focus on one particular variety? The yield will be counted, labelled and bundled at the end of the day. Of course, in between there will be time for tea /coffee and biscuits!
The volunteers of More Trees Now, harvest only the trees and shrubs that are in excess or unwanted. For example, is there only one Hawthorn in an area where it can mature? Then it will not be harvested.
Usually, it is pioneer species that are harvested, such as Maples, Willows, Alder and Birches. These species are abundant and most commonly harvested. Other sought-after species are Linden, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Elder, Buckthorn and Hazel.
More Trees Now, harvests mostly native trees. A native tree species naturally thrives in our climate. Autochthonous trees are always native, but native trees are not always Autochthonous. An autochthonous tree possesses genetic material dating back to the last ice age of a given country. This tree has slowly adapted to its habitat, causing many local wildlife, insects and other species to bond with it. Native and autochthonous trees are the most connected to the critters and creatures that live here and are therefore the best for biodiversity.,
Going to harvest and want to know how to recognise seedlings? You can find the winter characteristics of the most commonly harvested tree species on the Winter bud chart.
Exotics are tree species from other climatic zones. They can survive well here, but contribute less to biodiversity. Some can still be very wanted! Because they bear fruit and can find a good place in a food forest. Other times an exotic species becomes invasive: the tree then oppresses other species and has a negative impact on the ecosystem. We remove these trees during harvesting but do not distribute them. We do not move diseased trees and shrubs.
Are you a harvest leader or curious about what’s involved in organising a harvest day? Then check out the guide ‘Organising a harvest day’!
