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Orchards East is proud to be working with a number of national, regional and county partners.
The Bedfordshire and Luton Orchard Group (BLOG)
A countywide organisation representing conservation societies, local people and communities.
We aim to bring together like-minded people to help survey, conserve and enjoy the county's orchard heritage. BLOG is managed by a steering group of interested individuals who meet to promote and manage Bedfordshire's orchards.
All are welcome to join the group and become involved with their work.
Cambridgeshire Orchards Group
The Cambridgeshire Orchards Group (COG), an offshoot of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Biodiversity Partnership, was set up in 2003 with a view to researching the locations and condition of the remaining traditional orchards in Cambridgeshire. This was particularly pertinent given the strong historical tradition of orchard fruit-growing in the county and the fact that these sites had not been previously studied either for their fruit varieties, nor for their wildlife potential. COG comprises a small group of people of diverse backgrounds and professions, with a common interest in traditional orchards. They were responsible for conducting, with additional trained volunteer help, three detailed surveys of orchards in the county over the period 2005-12. . The findings of all these surveys have been published in paper form and online on the Biodiversity Partnership website.
In addition to this, COG has been responsible for organising Plum Days in the ‘plum triangle’ of Somersham – Bluntisham – Colne, to complement the Apple Days organised by other groups within the county. Other work has involved help and advice to local communities establishing parish orchards and liaison with many other groups and individuals with a common interest in orchards.
EEAOP
EEAOP is a registered charity, creating a long term future for local apple, pear, plum and cherry varieties and their orchard habitat by working with individuals, communities, businesses and schools in the east of England across the seven counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.
Fruit ID
Fruit ID helps identify apple cultivars and other fruit cultivars accurately as part of our efforts to conserve heritage varieties and orchards. The website is a community created catalogue for apple identification and currently has 407 searchable records with more being added all the time.
Hertfordshire Orchard Initiative
HOI is a working group of Local Government Officers, Orchard Owners and Wildlife Experts who care passionately about Hertfordshire’s orchards their heritage, wildlife value and their future. HOI represents the Habitat Action Plan group for orchards as part of the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan. Members include Tewin Orchard, Stanley Lord Orchard (Shenley Park), Highfield Park Orchard (St Albans), Rivers Community Orchard (Sawbridgeworth), Codicote Community Orchard and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Orchard Group.
National Fruit Collection at Brogdale Farm, Kent
The National Fruit Collection is one of the largest fruit collections in the world and includes over 3,500 named Apple, Pear, Plum, Cherry, Bush fruit, Vine and Cob Nut cultivars. Located at Brogdale Farm, near Faversham (Kent), the collection is owned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and is part of an international programme to protect plant genetic resources for the future.
Natural England
Natural England is the government’s adviser for the natural environment in England, helping to protect England’s nature and landscapes for people to enjoy and for the services they provide. NE is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
PTES
PTES protect wildlife in Britain and around the world by bringing our most threatened species back from the brink of extinction.
In order to save our traditional orchards, and the thousands of animals they support, PTES need to know where they remain and what condition they are in. We have been locating the traditional orchards of the UK for the last decade.
STOG
Suffolk Traditional Orchard Group (STOG) aims to record and protect old orchard sites; to promote the new planting of traditional orchard fruit and nut varieties; and to preserve and disseminate the practice, cultural and historical value of orchards through education and publication.
University of Reading
The University of Reading has taken over responsibility for the curation and maintenance of the National Fruit Collection in collaboration with the Farm Advisory Services Team (FAST), who are based at Brogdale Farm. Public access is organised by Brogdale Collections, who are developing the site as a visitor attraction.