VOLUNTEERS braved the wretched conditions on Saturday to plant 420 native trees at the Stonebridge Wild River Reserve.

The community hedge planting afternoon saw over a dozen locals bring a spade, pitch forks, some elbow grease and a can-do attitude to plant the trees in the meadow to continue the hedge for wildlife around the conservation grazing area.

The day, organised by Action for the River Kennet (ARK), involved the helpers digging a slit in the ground, planting the tree, fixing in a bamboo cane for support and then putting a tree guard round that to stop wildlife feasting on the tree.

"We were really pleased with how it all went. To plant 420 native trees in just a few short hours is a really impressive achievement and we are very thankful to all the helpers," said ARK project officer Anna Forbes.

"It was nice to see some new faces come out and despite the good weather there was a really positive vibe whilst they worked. It is good that locals are invested in their local area to make it as pleasant as possible.

"There was a big cheer and round of applause when the final one was planted, to cap off a really productive and enjoyable afternoon. Thanks to their work, it can be a fantastic habitat for a huge range of wildlife from bats to insects to birds.

"Hopefully we can continue this great work with our next planting session in March if we are awarded more free trees from the Woodland Trust."

Since ARK began its hedging project in 2014, more than 2,400 trees have been planted.