More than 20 telegraph poles that are no longer needed to carry telephone lines have found a new home in a conservation project run for Jersey’s Grouville School.
JT are donating the poles to the newly formed McGugan Family Trust to build a raised walkway in a meadow next to the primary school that is used for outdoor lessons and activities by school children and other groups.
The meadow is prone to flooding in the winter and the Trust wants to improve accessibility.
Grouville Constable, John le Maistre, is Chairman of the Trust, and he asked JT for help: “The meadow needs work to provide better access and in particular we want wheelchair users to enjoy the wildlife. The idea is to put a boardwalk around it but that requires pillars, and telegraph poles are ideal because they are treated and last a long time. JT were extremely helpful, donating telegraph poles that are no longer being used thanks to the advances made in digital technology. So this provides them with a new purpose that benefits our community.”
JT agreed to deliver the poles which were still in the ground waiting to be cut down and recycled. So far, tree surgeons have removed 13 of them from sites around the island and cut them to the right size for use in the project, with more to follow.
Tom Noel, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said: “Twenty years ago, a platform next to the pond was built using similar poles and the Trust told us they are as good today as when they were put in. We are delighted that something we no longer need is being used to help our community and at the same time provide a valuable lesson about sustainability and the importance of repurposing and recycling whatever we can.”
Reservists from the Jersey Field Squadron will construct the walkway on the site, and it is hoped it will provide an outdoor classroom that other local groups, such as the Scouts, will use too.
