The ‘roots’ of the Millennium Forest where planted before the turn of the century. George Benjamin, a pioneer of St Helena’s environmental awareness and action, introduced gumwood planting and experimented with different cultivation methods nearly two decades ago.

The idea of a Millennium Forest in St Helena resulted from the need for a project which recognised the necessity to regenerate the Island’s native forests. 

New planting in the foreground - older growth behind photo Vince Thompson

In fact, the Millennium Forest is situated on part of a larger tract of land where ‘The Great Wood’ once covered most of the eastern side of the Island.  Colonisation by man and his domesticated animals left the entire area treeless and the exposed soil suffering from severe erosion.

The project launch unleashed a tremendous amount of energy which left hardly any Islanders untouched.  Virtually every Islander paid for a tree to be planted, many of them planting a tree themselves.  During this initial phase about 3,000 trees were paid for and planted.  The Gatehouse was built, a car park laid out and forestry workers employed to continue the work.

Eight years on much has been achieved and of course, there is much more still to do.  About 25 hectares [63 acres] have been planted so far.  However, the total land area now reserved for the Millennium Forest is 250 hectares [625 acres].

After eight years developing the Forest we now need to maintain previously planted areas alongside expanding the Forest into new planting areas.

We are now planning work at the Forest on two fronts.  First, the entrance to the Forest is to be given a facelift.  The car park requires maintenance and the adjacent area is to be planted with some of the other species endemic to the Island as well as Gumwoods.  The nursery facility is to be replaced with a larger, better equipped building.  The very basic staff facilities are also to be replaced and improved.  The main walkway from the Gatehouse to the most established part of the forest is to be cleared and upgraded. 

Invasive species are the main cause of much time and effort spent on ground clearance work.

As is common in most parts of St Helena, invasive species in the Forest have to be controlled.  The most successful invasive species at the Forest is the Creeper [Carpobrutus edulis] – a vine like plant where each one spreads its tentacles for yards along the ground.  The leaves are thick and fleshy and the roots contaminated with mealy bug.  Creeper can be seen in the photograph opposite.

Other invasives are present in the Forest but the eroded and degraded soil means they do not spread and become as significant a problem as in other parts of the Island.  Samphire [Suaeda fruticos], White Tungi [Opuntia cochinillifera] and Salt Bush [Atriplex semibaccata] are some of the invasive species which need to be kept in check.  Failure to do so would mean parts of the Forest are sacrificed to invasives, eventually.

The eroded soil means Gumwood saplings require labour intensive care to become established and survive.  Currently there are two forestry workers to plant, water and clear the ground of invasive species. Funding is being sought to increase the number of forestry workers employed by the St Helena National Trust.

In addition to more forestry workers, the most important requirements are a plentiful and cheap supply of water together with a reliable and continuing supply of compostable materials.

A new water distribution system is to be installed by laying a network of pipes to the new planting areas.  Some of the water pipes are now no longer required in the older parts of the Forest as the trees have become well enough established to fend for themselves.  Water pipes in these areas will be lifted and re-used in the new planting areas to supplement to supply of new pipes purchased for the new areas.

Forestry Worker Chadwyn Scipio helps two Donors plant their Gumwood sapling.

The supplies of compost too need to be more plentiful and more constant.  The main supply source is fish waste.  Unwanted parts of fish caught by the Island’s fisherman are composted down by the Trust’s Forestry Workers and used to provide vital nutrients for the forest soil.

We are trying to obtain other compostable material to supplement the supply of fish waste.  A continuing supply of higher volumes of compost will help enormously to increase the survival rate of newly planted saplings and reduce the daunting workload faced by our two forestry workers.  Every donated tree which fails to survive has to be replaced.

Related Information

Millennium Forest Update July 2008

Sponsor a Tree at the Millennium Forest

Sponsorship of One Tree - £5.00

Sponsorship of a Plantation - £250.00

All sponsors of trees for the Millennium Forest will be listed in a special section of the St Helena National Trust’s website.

Sponsorship of a plantation pays for one hundred trees to be planted and the provision of a name board.  The plantation can be used to commemorate an event or remember a loved one.  

For details on how to sponsor a tree at the Millennium Forest, e-mail the St Helena National Trust using the contact page.

Donor’s Certificate

A New Year Resolution from the Trust Director and Project Officer

Our forestry workers use two small metal clad shacks and a small dilapidated nursery to grow saplings.

We want to give them a bigger, better equipped nursery and a better place for meal breaks.  The computer image above shows what we have in mind.

Robert Draper and Vince Thompson decided to use some weekends to erect the nursery and staff accommodation.  The money saved on paying a contractor to build it will pay for equipment to help the forestry workers plant and water the saplings.