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.
Jersey Trees for Life 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.