We had a beautiful tree planting celebration event in Alum Rock, Thursday 27th March, the result of a partnership between Birmingham TreePeople and St John’s House, who we first met with over a year ago to explore establishing new trees in the area.

Working with Women of Worth, who we’ve gotten to know over the last year hosting tree walks and talks and more, we planted 3 new trees on grounds of St Johns. The event was a beautiful mix of tree magic, science and planting!

Recitals of poems written by women in the group that celebrated trees as the teachers that they are, when we stop to listen and observe them; the sharing of tree stories that talked off all the many ways trees give, and point to how we might think to give back more.

We learned about the trees we were planting – Chinese Red Birch and Sophora japonica (which in Chinese translates to wood-demon, is one of the 50 fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine, and is often planted around Buddhist temples in China, and whose flowers come in the eight moon – September, good for late pollinators!). And we learnt why trees are so vital in Birmingham.

As well as creating a collective painting, making decorations, enjoying birch tea (or taking some home); perhaps the loveliest part was a group sharing discussion about the ways in which trees and tree-human culture plays out in the many countries the women come from. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Hong Kong, Sudan – so many beautiful and fascinating stories shared from yearly tree planting event in India to celebrate independence, wishing trees in Hong Kong, cultures of hosting under trees in Sudan and the king of fruits and fruit tree in Pakistan – the mango.