In 2018 Rotary’s President, Ian H.S. Riseley, challenged every Rotarian to plant a tree to help sustain the planet.
Rotary’s love of trees has been passed down from its founder, Paul Harris, to the trees Rotarians are planting today.
Earlier this month, Chesterfield Scarsdale Rotary Club President, David Cromwell, and a number of fellow Rotarians from the Derbyshire club, braved the winter weather to plant trees.
They were joined by Peter Storey, Jamie Bingham from Derbyshire County Council and members of Markham Vale Land Services (MVLS), who planted a number of trees.
Rotary’s love of trees has been passed down from its founder, Paul Harris, to the trees Rotarians are planting today.
The birch, beech, oak and other trees, supplied by the Woodland Trust, have been planted by MVLS, in the pattern of a Rotary Roundel, on top of the former colliery tip, next to the Markham Vale Environment Centre, off Junction 29A of the M1, in Derbyshire.
When they grow, the trees will be visible from the town of Bolsover and its historic castle. Also, look out for them on the future fly-bys of Google Earth.
This project was initially kicked off by Past President Malcolm Smith and then followed through by Rob Wallace in President Ron Enock’s year, before being brought to a successful conclusion this year by Community Service Chair, Past President Rodger Heathcote.
Peter Storey heads up the county’s team carrying out the redevelopment of the former Markham and Seymour Colliery sites, which extends to about 900 acres, with 600 acres of green space.
When they grow, the trees will be visible from the town of Bolsover and its historic castle. Also, look out for them on the future fly-bys of Google Earth.
The redevelopment has so far produced 1,628 jobs, across 40 companies and removed the dereliction left by the closure of the former collieries.
Jamie Bingham is the Project Engineer, who has specific responsibility for Markham Vale and has made this planting happen.
MVLS are a group of community volunteers, who are based in Unit 14, at Markham Vale. They carry out maintenance of the extensive grounds and footpaths, along which steel statues which have been erected to commemorate miners lost in the various disasters at the former Markham Pit.
Chesterfield Scarsdale Rotary is looking forward to working with Jamie and the MVLS team next year, planting thousands of purple crocus bulbs as part of the Rotary Purple for polio campaign.
