The Tank Museum launches campaign to plant 5000 trees
A museum famous for its green machines is inviting visitors to support a campaign to help to restore a Dorset woodland.
The Tank Museum at Bovington is joining forces with Forestry England to raise at least £30,000 to plant 5,000 native trees at Queen’s Copse in Wimborne.
The museum’s exhibitions tell the story of armoured warfare spanning more than 100 years of history. It contains more than 300 tanks from 26 nations.
These range from the world’s first ever tank, Little Willie, through to the British Army’s current Main Battle Tank, Challenger 2.
The onsite team is mounting a number of initiatives to help the environment. This includes a recent announcement that it was running a trial to convert one of its historic vehicles to run on ‘Green Diesel.’
If successful, it’s hoped other vehicles could be converted to run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil to reduce the environmental impact of its live action tank displays by as much as 90%.
The campaign’s goal is to plant the 5000 trees is to create a new, native woodland some 25 miles from the museum site. Donations will be used to fund a team to plant, and look after, the saplings over a period of 10 years.
‘To return this woodland to its original character’
‘Our aim is to return this woodland to its original character so we can create a biodiverse habitat that captures carbon, supports wildlife, and thrives for future generations to enjoy,’ explains Leif Mann, Partnerships’ Manager at Forestry England.
It’s envisaged the money will be raised by inviting people to make a £6 donation when they buy admission tickets at the museum.
‘The Tank Museum doesn’t charge for parking,’ explains Rosanna Dean, The Tank Museum’s Head of Visitor Experience.
‘Our hope is that those who can afford it will make a favourable comparison between the cost of a tree and a day’s parking – and be as enthusiastic about shaping the future as we are about preserving the past.’
The museum says that every £6 donation will pay for one sapling to be professionally planted with a stake and growth-guard.
Forestry England will undertake the planting and provide each sapling with up to 10 years of care.
In separate news, Breaktime News has previously reported on plans to create a ‘living library’ of trees in East Devon.
