A three-year sponsorship deal from Jersey Water will see local charity Jersey Trees for Life take responsibility for the upkeep of a botanical collection of trees at Val de la Mare reservoir.
Established in 1975, the arboretum contains a variety of tree collections with global origins as diverse as North America, the Far East and Australasia. Since its establishment, it has become one of Jersey’s most popular spots for walkers and nature lovers, thanks to its unique combination of natural beauty and exotic flora.
Jersey Water first entered into an agreement with Jersey Trees for Life in 2011, securing responsibility for planting, maintenance and ongoing care of the arboretum. They have since continued to strengthen their partnership, ultimately leading to this agreement which will see a host of positive developments at this local beauty spot throughout 2023 and beyond.
“This agreement is a huge win for all concerned with the arboretum”, stated Alex Morel, Jersey Trees for Life’s CEO.
“Jersey Water’s commitment for the next three years is meaningful support that will really move the dial in terms of our needs and aspirations for Val de la Mare. Various plans have been on the back burner for a long time and now we can finally start putting them into practice. We’re very excited about this positive step forward and I know our friends at Jersey Water are too.”
Among the improvements will be new signage at the entrance to the reservoir and throughout the arboretum, as well as a reconfiguration of the tree collections so they are classified based on their geographical origins. The grant will also cover maintenance and upgrades to required equipment.
“Jersey Trees for Life already does a fantastic job of looking after the arboretum at Val de la Mare, but historically hasn’t had the funding to do much more than reactive maintenance.” said Helier Smith, CEO of Jersey Water, commenting on the partnership.
“Our support enables the charity to build on this great work by ensuring a dedicated team is on-site each week to look after the arboretum and surrounding green spaces. Not only will this be beneficial for the trees and plant life, but for everyone who visits the reservoir, whether recreationally or as part of the volunteer maintenance programme.”
To celebrate this agreement, the Chairs and CEOs from both organisations will undertake a joint volunteering session at the arboretum on Tuesday 20 June.
The charity also announced that it is now running public volunteering sessions at Val de la Mare from 9:30am to 12.30pm on the first Friday morning of every month, encouraging people to get involved. Relevant details will be posted in advance on its social media channels for anyone interested.
Pictured: Left to right – Helier Smith and Alex Morel at Val de la Mare Arboretum
