100 days - 100 apple trees

Today children from Ashgate Special School in Wythenshawe helped the Mersey Valley Wardens to plant an extra ten apple trees at the community orchard in Kenworthy woods, at Chorlton Water Park.

This takes the number of trees back up to a hundred, as part of Manchester's 100 days to a cleaner, greener city campaign.

The community orchard provides a facility for Manchester people to collect free fruit during harvest time. As well as apple trees there are pear trees, redcurrant bushes, damsons, blackberries, plums and hazelnuts growing for the benefit of local people.

Ashgate pupils have recently been learning about healthy eating and how our food is grown. But it seems that local children are not the only ones who have been interested in the rich pickings at Kenworthy Woods.

The local rabbit population have chewed through the young trunks of ten of the fruit bearing apple trees, and they seem have their beady eyes on the other ninety!

So the Mersey Valley wardens and the Ashgate pupils are replanting the new trees and the remaining apple trees with special trunk guards to ward of the greedy mammals.

Councillor Eddy Newman, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services said: "We are delighted to restore the community orchard to one hundred trees during our 100 days campaign. Children are encouraged to eat at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day - and what could be better than free fruit there for the picking, grown in your own community orchard. Food doesn't get any more local than this."

Media contact:

Conrad Astley, tel 0161 234 4610

About Challenge Manchester

Manchester City Council launched Challenge Manchester - 100 Days to a cleaner, greener city 2008 on February 14 2008 at Manchester Town Hall.

The campaign will run until 24 May 2008, featuring 100 days of intense activity all over Manchester with the first 50 days focussing on green issues - primarily waste minimisation, recycling and climate change - and the next 50 days focussing on community clean-ups, local environmental improvements and planting schemes.

The council will also be asking residents and businesses about what they want the council to do to help them minimise waste and recycle more.

Challenge Manchester began in 2004 with "Challenge Manchester: 100 Days to a Clean City", and in its fifth successful year the campaign returns to its core aim to "clean up" the city.

More information about Challenge Manchester and how you can participate appears on our website http://www.challengemanchester.co.uk/

You can also e-mail campaigns.team@notes.manchester.gov.uk

or telephone 0161 954 9000.