Wellingtons not needed
Ion Trewin on planting trees at Hartwood Forest
The biggest surprise of the day - Wellingtons were not needed. Despite the appalling weather of the winter the ground at the Woodland Trust's new Hartwood Forest near St Albans was dry to the touch. The second Man Booker Prize tree planting left the judges' shoes in near immaculate condition.
Led by James Naughtie, who chaired the 2009 panel, the rest of his team - Lucasta Miller, Sue Perkins, John Mullan and Michael Prodger plus Ion Trewin, the prize's literary director - wielded their spades with aplomb. Thirteen Scots pine saplings - representing last year's longlist - were planted to look like an open book.
This is the second year that Man Booker judges have planted trees. Last year, the 2008 judges dug in an avenue of young oak trees in new woodland at Theydon Bois in Essex, after deciding they would like to replenish some of the trees cut down to produce the many novels submitted for the prize. In 2009, 132 books were submitted for the prize (including eleven titles called in by the judges).
Ion Trewin comments, ‘I'm delighted that once again the Man Booker judges have decided to put something back by planting this open book of Scots pines. May it inspire others in the years to come.'
Heartwood Forest is a woodland story set to run and run, according to the Woodland Trust. With around 80,000 of its proposed 650,000 native trees now planted, the forest will be a long term asset for the environment, local people and wildlife.
Laura Judson, Head of Regional Development at the Woodland Trust, comments, "This is the second chapter of our very welcome association with Man Booker, and we decided that Scots pine was an appropriate tree to plant at Heartwood. There are already Scots pines on site and it is the most likely of our British trees to have been used to manufacture paper for printing"
Left - right in photo: Sue Perkins, Ion Trewin, Michael Prodger, John Mullan, James Naughtie and Lucasta Miller
