Rooting for a Greener Grove – A Community Tree Planting Event

Would you believe us if we told you 2000 trees were planted in just 73 minutes? Well, you should, as on the 26th of March 2024, 80 people gathered at The Grove in Watford for a Plant a Tree Networking event.

The Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce

A huge part of organising this event, was the wonderful Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce. One of the biggest networking groups in Hertfordshire, with over 500 members, this Chamber thrives by bringing local business together, to give support and help each other grow.

Beyond Trees

Partnered with the event, were a wonderful organisation called Beyond Trees, who work hard to plant more trees all year round with the help of local communities, charities, and friends of the organisation.

The Grove Hotel

The inspiring event was held at The Grove Hotel in Watford. A stunning 5-star hotel set in Hertfordshire, home to a spa, park, golf course, multiple restaurants and 215 luxurious bedrooms and suites.

Shelley Offices

A member of our team saw the event advertised, as Shelley Offices are a member of The Watford Chamber and thought what a fantastic idea. Here at Shelley Offices, we take pride in doing our part to make the world a better place, and sustainability is important to us. Our brand-new Borehamwood office space was designed with sensor systems throughout to ensure no lights, aircon or heating units are ever left on. When a person enters a room, the lights, aircon or heating will turn on, and when the last person leaves, everything will turn off shortly after. This stops us wasting any energy. All lights through out the building are LED’s, which require less energy, having a more positive effect on the environment. We also have ‘general waste’, ‘recycling’ and ‘liquid’ bins on each floor, so that any material that is able to be recycled can. Another step we take to help the environment and produce less waste is providing reusable mugs for the coffee machine, so that paper cups aren’t being thrown into the bin. One step at a time, we hope to do our part and make a difference. This is why we felt it was important to spend our time helping with the tree planting event.

Networking Event

Everyone met at the gates to The Grove’s Walled Garden before heading round to the Ivory Woodlands. 2000 tiny trees were supplied by Beyond Trees. There was a large team of staff from The Grove who stepped in to help distribute the trees, provide spades and support. Together, everyone took a bunch of the tiny trees and got planting. The event had a mix of individuals of different ages and backgrounds, but all with the desire to help get the trees planted. The ground was very hard, making is difficult to get deep enough for the roots, but this didn’t stop anyone. It was truly fantastic to see everyone get stuck in, get muddy, and get the job done.

Once all trees were planted, everyone head to The Potting Shed where The Grove served a beautiful lunch for everyone to enjoy. The sun was shining and all event attendees were able to network over a bite to eat.

A fantastic day was had! Thank you to all involved.