This site was part of the NHS Forest’s pilot phase in March 2009, when a GP from the surgery organised tree planting on a Hertfordshire farm with assistance from Primary Care Team staff.
30 trees were planted for staff at this surgery, 144 for delegates and organisers of the 2008 National Conference of the UKCEA, 65 for staff for the staff at the Endoscopy Unit at the East and North Herts Trust and 80 trees to give thanks to staff at the Intensive Cardiothorasic Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford who cared for a relative of the event’s organiser. The tree planting took place on a Saturday morning with breakfast provided for staff members who attended. Many of the staff were so enthused by the day that they have continued to visit the site to check up on the trees and see how much they have grown.
In March 2015 a further 607 trees were added to the site. These included:
- 290 trees to represent the 290 GP trainees appointed to Health Education East of England in 2014
- 230 trees to represent all who work at Victoria House for Health Education East of England
- 87 trees to represent each year of the life of Dr Elizabeth Castell who died earlier that year
Health Education East of England won the award at the NHS Forest Conference 2015 for the most trees planted this planting season.
In 2022 they planted a further 1000 trees.