About Releaf Marlow – Free Family Trees – Tree Rescue Scheme – Caring for Trees in Need – Highlights – Donate

About Releaf Marlow

Releaf Marlow is a community trees project that aims to double Marlow’s tree canopy to 40%. It is run by Transition Town Marlow, and has been recognised by Marlow Town Council and Buckinghamshire Council as contributing towards local sustainability. The project aims to make Marlow a better place for people and wildlife, including through enhanced beauty and greater resilience to climate change.

Follow our activities on our Facebook or Instagram pages. To join our mailing list, get involved in our work or to talk to us about potential projects on your land, please email us at releaf@transitionmarlow.org.

The Free Family Trees Scheme

Releaf Marlow’s Free Family Trees scheme is back for winter 2025/26, with new species on offer!

Households can request up to six trees in any mixture of types as long as we have sufficient in stock. If you are interested in a larger number for hedging or woodland planting then we’re happy to discuss. We have a mixture of potted and bare root trees between 60 cm and 200 cm tall. We will deliver to your address from November to March, while stocks last.

The scheme is open to anyone in Marlow, Marlow Bottom and the wider SL7 postcode, plus Lane End, Hambleden and Bisham villages. Please tell your neighbours and local friends about this great environmental scheme.

All recipients hold responsibility to plant “the right tree in the right place”. You should research whether the species we’re offering would suit your particular space, checking features like growth rate, mature size, shade intensity, root spread, etc.

The Tree Rescue Scheme

Have you got a small tree in a pot or in your garden that you can’t keep or fear will grow too big for your space? Releaf Marlow is happy to pick up surplus trees and look after them, with a view to including in one of our planting projects. The scheme is available to residents of Marlow and nearby communities only. Contact us via the ways listed above to avoid a young tree going to waste!

Caring for Trees in Need

Winter is for tree planting, but from spring to autumn, Releaf Marlow focuses on providing aftercare for recently planted trees in Marlow. Young trees need watering during their first three summers while they fully establish their roots. Though Buckinghamshire is supposed to water street trees it has planted it’s not always clear that it does so, or does so enough.

Releaf Marlow aims to “leave no trees behind” and looks out for as many young public trees in Marlow as we can, aiming to keep survival rates above 90%. This saves wastage and potentially £££ in replanting costs. We also carry out running repairs where necessary, including re-firming tree stakes, replacing rotted ties, and even righting and bandaging up vandalised trees.

We are keen to support residents who wish to “adopt” a young public tree near where they live. So if summer’s coming and you could look after a Tree in Need near you then please let us know via releaf@transitionmarlow.org. We can supply 10L containers for watering on request.

Releaf Marlow’s highlights

Releaf Marlow was launched in 2020 and has since worked with Marlow Town Council, Buckinghamshire Council and private landowners to plant trees every winter within and around Marlow. Following are some of our project highlights.

Our first project, in January 2021, involved creating a double avenue of trees either side of the open space between Marlow and Marlow Bottom. The photo at the top of this web page shows planting day.

In winter 2021/22, we accessed government funding via Buckinghamshire Council to plant a double hedge at Spade Oak Meadow, the main entrance to Spade Oak Nature Reserve, near Bourne End.

In winter 2022/23 we planted ornamental standards between fairways at Harleyford Golf Course, as well as rare native black poplar trees on fields at Lowgrounds Farm, also part of the Harleyford Estate.

In winter 23/24, we returned to Harleyford Golf Course to plant lots of understorey species in a patch of mature woodland, put trees into a countryside hedgerow running alongside Mundaydean Lane and planted three trees on the playing field of Marlow Infants School. We also added a few new trees to Gossmore Park.

In winter 24/25, we renovated a long stretch of decayed countryside hedgerow alongside Mundaydean Lane, planted a brand-new hedge and lots of woodland trees on land near Pump Lane North. We also replanted a woodland devastated by ash die-back disease in Marlow Bottom. Plus, with financial support from Marlow Town Council, we extended our support for local schools by planting a fruit tree orchard at Marlow Infants as well as cherry trees at Borlase Grammar School.

Each summer, Releaf Marlow looks after young trees we have planted and, when practical, street trees in Marlow that have suffered damage or vandalism. We were especially busy in the heatwave of summer 2022. The picture shows the Ridgeway open space, where we planted an avenue of trees plus a small orchard in winter 2020/21.

Donate

Releaf Marlow needs funds to be able to plant and care for more trees. If you would like to support our efforts, then please click the Donate button to access a card payment process.