Katy Hawkins led an all women’s nature-based workshop in Alum Rock with Women of Worth recently, a sensory tree walk sharing biology, symbolism, and herbal uses. Now that we have received a generous grant from Arconic, we can plant some new trees in this priority ward this coming Winter, and we hope to continue our partnership during the planting season!
Now that St. Joseph’s and Cromwell schools have been notified, and their winning pupils are aware of their posters adorning new trees in their ward, we can announce the winning posters online!
Yesterday, Katy Hawkins walked around Nechells, installing the creative, hand-drawn posters by local children on our newly planted trees! This will be a great way to encourage not only our youth, but everyone in Birmingham to look after the trees that look after us, by keeping them watered, healthy, and thriving.
Katy also met passing residents, living near various trees, and spoke to them about watering, which they were keen to do!
The posters went to the winning schools and pupils from the two participant schools. A child’s imagination can truly grasp how special trees are to us and this planet, and those are the sparks in our eyes we need to retain.
Thank you to all who participated, Nechells POD for co-hosting this competition, and congratulations to the winners – go out and see your posters, but don’t forget to water the trees!
THE ZEPHANIAH FOREST: 65 POEMS FOR 65 TREES FOR 65 YEARS
We are calling for submissions for our Benjamin Zephaniah legacy forest poetry competition! We are asking all of you creative Brummies to submit a poem on the theme of nature and Benjamin, and 65 of these poems will be associated with a particular tree on the Zephaniah Tree Trail that will be created after the mini forest in Burbury Park has been planted. We are also encouraging entrants to donate towards the fundraising pledge, which can be found here: https://www.spacehive.com/grow-the-benjamin-zephaniah-forest
We will be working with the incredibly talented Bradley Taylor during the approach towards the upcoming planting season, where he and our Engagement Officer Katy (who are co-hosting creative workshops with Open Door in Bromford on the 27th July & 10th August) will be drumming up some fantastic community engagement events in and around the area, to highlight the current beauty of Birmingham’s green spaces, offer nature-inspired outdoor poetry workshops, and draw attention to the benefits these new trees will bring – in Benjamin’s name – to a community where he grew up with his family.
Submit your poem here. If you’d like to record yourself reading Benjamin’s ‘Trees Please’ for us to post on our socials during this time, or record yourself reading your poetry submission for this project, please send the videos to [email protected], or upload them via the submissions form. If watch Bradley Taylor reading his poetic response to ‘Trees Please’ for BBC News West Midlands Today’s Yvonne Brissett, you’ll get an idea, but we don’t expect you to buy a new camera!
The Brummie Bard Keith Bracey, who will also be working with us during this project, has enthusiastically provided another one of the first submissions, and has kindly given permission to share with everyone, so let’s get the ball rolling…
BENJAMIN ZEPHANHIGHER – THE ELEVATED SOUL
He was the Rasta, the Masta Blasta Who hailed from Newtown Brum His spiritual mind was sublime Made him come up with rhyme
Turned down the OBE Coz he loved his Community Brutality in his History Slavery in the family
Uprooted and transported Distorted and deported Benji said “No Blacks, No Whites” All Souls deserve their Human rights
Benji was given an Honorary Degree Like his friend Lenny Henry A similar age, around 65, when Benji taken, being so alive.
Passing peacefully in his bed Rhyming round the tumour in his head Surrounded by his family Watching with humility.
Now he’s looking down on us Watching like Preacher “Jimmy” Jesus Looking over The Garrison In his beloved Birmingham
Katy Hawkins recently visited St. Joseph’s Primary School in Nechells, to host some creative tree care and identification sessions with three of the school’s classes.
Years 1 to 3 spent some time with Katy over two days, learning creatively just why trees are so important, sharing their youthful and thoughtful insights.
The children talked with Katy about the things we can do to help trees, and the things they do for us in return. The year 3 class was taken to see, identify, and water 4 of their local trees close to the school, and how best to do so, solidifying their place in the community, and hopefully encouraging them to look after the trees in the years to come.
Katy and the kids created The Woodland Trust inspired tree swatches, with information and drawings of their local trees, how to identify them, and how to care for them! They enjoyed their time learning with Katy, and rightly so, as they are the ones who will carry that legacy forward. Thank you, St. Joseph’s, for collaborating with us and letting us pass onto the residential youth the power of trees.
Benjamin Zephaniah, dub poet, musician, actor and activist, was a Birmingham symbol of creativity and freedom, propelling Brummies further onto the international stage with his prolific and profound poetry. Universally recognised for his unique approach to his craft – being third on the list of Britain’s favourite poets – having been offered along the way a British Honour, and the status of Birmingham Poet Laureate (both of which he turned down), Zephaniah’s death shook the foundations of the local and wider community. That’s why his youngest brother – David Springer – contacted Birmingham TreePeople on behalf of the whole family at the Benjamin Zephaniah Family Legacy Group, in the hope of carrying on this iconic legacy through his love of trees and nature.
Growing up in a large, loving family with seven siblings, David explained that their usual ‘stomping grounds’ were Newtown, Nechells, Aston, and some of Lozells and Handsworth. With its good number of tree-pit locations, Newtown’s Burbury Park has been identified as the ideal home for The Zephaniah Forest: a 65-strong conglomerate of poetry-tagged, community-consulted, and communally planted trees, to commemorate the life and works of Benjamin Zephaniah – 65 trees for the 65 years of Benjamin’s inspirational life.
Alongside Benjamin’s dedicated family members, Birmingham TreePeople plan to work with other prominent individuals from across the city as well as nature, community and arts groups, so we can plant this mini forest in his name, and over the years it will have the potential to grow further. By working with the communities within which these trees will be planted, we hope to ensure their long-term care and establishment, ensuring the dedicated memorial forest continues to grow and thrive for years to come.
The trees will be tagged and documented using TreePlotter software, alongside a Tree Trail to follow the newly planted trees, and with dedicated poems associated with each one. This means that we need 65 poems for the 65 trees (the first one has already been written – see the final poem)! The TreePeople want to work with the arts and poetry community to achieve this – examples of the poetry themes could be Benjamin himself, the idea of memory and how we remember, or of course Mother Nature (and all that she includes) that he so revered. Trees, flowers, and the roots!
During the next tree planting season which coincides with National Tree Week at the end of November, community planting days will be organised, as well as live poetry readings and music events. The final planting day for this project will be a private ceremony with his family members to plant the ultimate tree, to mark the one-year anniversary of Benjamin’s passing.
Birmingham TreePeople are currently in the process of fundraising for The Zephaniah Forest; our initial crowdfunding link is www.spacehive.com/grow-the-benjamin-zephaniah-forest, and we would especially welcome other organisations’ support and involvement with the community memorial project, to create a legacy forest for a legend in the heart of his home city.
A record-worthy effort by the Street Tree surveyors yesterday, Saturday 29th June in Nechells, with a total of 61 trees surveyed! Thank you to Nina, Julianne, Mario, Tanim, Charley, Alex, Jeevan, Lawrence, and Kathy for wonderful morning and afternoon sessions tree surveying!
LOTS of pruning, as well as stake and tie removals; the most we’ve ever collected. See our before and after photos, as well as some scary-looking noble false widows (don’t let them bite you!) who helped us take the tree measurements…
Nina Griffiths was out with her team of tree surveyors on Tuesday 18th June, where there were five interactions with Bartley Green residents, talking about our survey and what we do at Birmingham TreePeople!
29 trees were surveyed in the 2-hour time slot by the 8 surveyors, and lots of walking was done, enjoying the open air and the urban forest. Lots of wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) things were spotted, especially a birdhouse a local has installed on a street tree!
Thank you to everyone who took part, and for those of you who’d like to get involved, there’s still plenty of time to do so before the project finishes in November.
What would a green network of tree people around our city look like? On the 12th June 2024, many tree people from organisations all over the country came to find out. Trees for Cities, in partnership with us at Birmingham TreePeople, organised the first Tree People Network Day, where community group representatives came to learn and share with a professional panel of experienced speakers. In the spirit of empowering communities with knowledge to undertake local tree maintenance, the day was dedicated to exploring ways in which we can create a city-wide web to connect us, meaning the urban forest can receive the love it desperately needs.
Tree People Network Day 2024, the first of its kind.
Ian McDermott (BTP) gave the opening remarks of thanks and praise for the organising of the event and those involved, moving onto say that although urban tree people are now relatively recognisable in government, trees are still predominantly planted into rural areas where people don’t live, and instead travel to visit – it’s time for a change. “From today, we want a network for the voice of the trees in the urban environment.”
A Tree Person’s Account from Mark Johnston: A personal and historical view of community engagement
After introducing Mark Johnston to the podium, the independent scholar in arboriculture, landscape, and urban forestry reiterated his fifty-year career in the field, beginning with the history of the Belfast urban forest. Unplanned, ad hoc, and detached from the community, residents were not involved in consultation or engagement exercises for decades (especially women), and therefore the tree equity suffered greatly in poorer areas. He faced the same issues in Wandsworth; when trees were planted at Battersea flats without consultation, they were vandalised, leading to the conclusion that community consultation and engagement was imperative to ensure the establishment of the trees.
Eric Jorgensen coined the phrase ‘urban forestry’ in Toronto, focusing on the ‘people aspects’ of the trees, and how they can improve the public welfare. With the three aspects of community forestry being education, consultation, and practical participation, the LA TreePeople – started by Andy Lipkis, the author of ‘The Simple Act of Planting a Tree’, whom we are also greatly enthused by – with their strong background in community engagement and informed planting, worked with Mark on the Forest of London project, which inspired further projects, support structures, and residential involvement.
Mark co-authored ‘Trees in Towns II’, an executive report involving expensive tree strategy, a document that has predominantly been online-only. However, Trees for Cities and Birmingham TreePeople we humbled to receive a signed copy of the report, thanking us for the great work we have been doing to advance the urban forest, to which we are perpetually grateful for the gesture and kind words of encouragement and motivation. And to motivate further, his closing words were (to paraphrase), “Look to the future – this climate crisis will be a huge challenge for the next generation, but trees are a huge part of the solution, so it’s about changing hearts and minds.”
Network Group Sessions
The ensuing group sessions were run by Catherine Nuttgens, Nuttgens Urban Forestry, with an extensive certified background in urban forestry and consultation. Using some rather ‘nifty tech’, each table was able to create a live word-cloud to brainstorm their shared ideas with the room, the first focusing on the main aims of a Tree People Network, and the second concerned the missing aims in the UK. The second half of the session included using plasticine models to represent firstly obstacles to the network, and secondly assets – one table certainly had fun bringing their ideas to life with plenty of laughter and stimulating concepts.
Rooftop Tree Walk
During the dinnertime break, Simon Needle (Birmingham City Council, BTP) led an optional rooftop tree walk at Birmingham Library, showing attendees around the variation of the garden, as well as drawing attention to certain views from the balcony. He told the loss story of the Broad Street Plane, the last of a row of 1800’s trees, sadly removed for the new Metro line when it was unfortunately missed out of the planning concepts. Sometimes we can’t win them all, but that’s why the wins we have should be celebrated.
Tree People Panel Presentations and Q&A
During the afternoon panel sessions, participants had a chance to see short, insightful presentations from a range of professionals in the industry, with a Q&A session at the end, giving everyone the opportunity to learn more. Georgia Logan from Trees for Cities discussed all-important tree establishment and aftercare in planting, followed by a double-act from Russell Horsey (Woodland Dwelling, also one of our generous sponsors) and Carolyn Doyley (East Marsh United, Grimsby community group) putting it into practice, explaining their journey working together to target low equity areas. They initially received backlash from certain residents regarding the planted trees, and yet the trees have all survived, due to the upskilling and bond established with the community ensuring the trees’ aftercare and therefore survival.
Maria Adebowale-Schwarte (Living Space Project) was the third panellist, confidently recalling her memory of her mother helping their neighbours with their trees, recognising the hierarchy of need in hindsight. From a climate justice and local capacity perspective, Maria echoed the need for better understanding of the value and heritage of trees, with a focus on fairness (equity) to the people and the planet by planting them where they’re needed most. She stated, “I’m gobsmacked at what I’ve learned today, and I want to take the things I’ve learned straight back. […] Equality, equity, and diversity – the key is consultation.” Maria has a strong theme of placemaking within her work, but how can make our places better if they’re not green?
Birmingham TreePeople’s own Tonia Clark, talked about funding for community groups, starting with core funding for overheads like admin, insurance, workspace and management, and how it helps to have someone on your committee with finance experience.
Taking to the stand again as the final panellist, Mark Johnston discussed multicultural society in terms of urban forestry, at first continuing his story from his morning presentation regarding Wandsworth. Having learned a lesson, the second time they attempted to plant trees at Battersea, the community were consulted beforehand. It encouraged children and family involvement, and thus – this time – the trees remained.
Mark (a self-professed lover of reggae music) stated that to reach a diverse audience we need to use the right language that’s accessible to everyone, and not to expect them to come to you; you must go to them. In Belfast, during a time of great turmoil, Mark felt as though it was his duty to bring people together through the power of trees; he planted trees with the only mix-gendered school in the area, alongside a specialist disabled school, to promote diversity within green space and proving that trees are for everyone.
After a small Q&A session, and an afternoon session discussing more networking ideas, the first Tree People Network Day drew to a close. The day was filled with energy and ideas, sharing and learning, and we look forward to establishing our Tree People Network, feeding and allowing it to grow strong like a tree.
Tree Cities of the World, UK Tree Cities Forum 2024, left to right: Arbor Day Foundation’s Matt Spitsen from Nebraska, and Birmingham TreePeople’s Steve Watson, Deanne Brettle, Charlotte McDermott, Lawrence Weston, Nina Griffiths, Ian McDermott, Simon Needle, Tonia Clark, and Julianne Statham.
After an introductory remark from Kate Sheldon of Trees for Cities – the charity responsible for organising the programme in the UK and the host of today and tomorrow’s conferences in partnership with BTP – our first speaker was Matt Spitsen of the Arbor Day Foundation. With their in-depth network of community partners, they’ve been planting trees where they’re needed most by engaging volunteers and corporate leaders, planting millions of trees in degraded forest land as just one example.
The World Forum on Urban Forests 2018 saw the birth of the Tree Cities of the World, and by its second iteration in 2023 garnered 1,000 participants from 60 countries. Today, there are 200 tree cities in 22 countries around the world. Matt mentioned an analogy of a young boy throwing a rock into a pond, leaving without waiting for the ripples and let the pebble sink. We must plant the seeds and wait for them to grow, taking our time to engage communities and meet the criteria needed to make change.
Matt SpitsenCecil Konijnendijk
Cecil Konijnendijk was the second speaker, Founder of Nature Based Solutions Institute and instigator of the 3-30-300 rule now employed across most of the urban forestry sector for evidence-based metrics, and this global urban forester has revolutionised tree strategy not only in his home country of the Netherlands, but every country he’s operated within. Highlighting the impact green space has on our mental health and well-being, and how the monetisation of these natural assets enhances the assessment and management of the urban forest within a region. Cecil believes adding value to the programme by means of activities, standards revisions, visibility and awareness drives, and expanding the global scope into underrepresented regions, will boost the programme exponentially.
Tree City Standard Presentations
Simon Needle, BCC/BTP, discussing the role of the UFMP for the city.
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham TreePeople’s Simon Needle, Birmingham City Council, discussed the first standard of the Tree City programme – there are 5 standards that a city must meet to qualify as a Tree City – establishing responsibility. Due to the challenges this city faces with a rising young population, myriad low canopy high priority wards and high greenhouse emissions, maintaining appropriate green space has been difficult. Falling tree deaths marred the Council over a decade ago, and to rectify the tree management situation they have endeavoured – the last 15 years – to renew the public realms lost trees, and business improvement districts have picked up on this to introduce more greenery into the city centre.
Working with Birmingham Trees for Life to plant more trees in Birmingham, the Broad Street plane tree was still removed, due to the new Metro line extension, leading to a review of their street tree policy. This new policy was received with open arms and unanimously voted for by a cross-party board and using CAVAT to evaluate the trees as community assets. Now that Birmingham TreePeople are employing community engagement surrounding nature and trees, by shaping and delivering equity-based planting and community urban forestry around the city, the volunteer network has grown exponentially, the Urban Forest Masterplan has been constructed to inform green infrastructure until 2051. All of this led to Birmingham receiving Tree City status in 2019, in response to genuine municipal and residential needs.
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council was the next Tree City to present, regarding the second criteria for the programme: setting the rules. Ross Deering of Belfast posed the stark contrast between their concrete jungles versus green space, thus employed a Tree Strategy like ours built on a similar model, and was also produced in partnership with Treeconomics.
John Rose, Treeconomics representative, in the second half of this talk stated the importance of stakeholder engagement and public consultation in implementing the strategy, as it is the cornerstone of success for these types of projects. Local detail equals the tools for local action, and by informing communities using tree mapping also informs the planting itself, ensuring long-term involvement and care. It isn’t just about setting the rules, it’s about building upon them.
City of Edinburgh Council
Steven Cuthill from City of Edinburgh Council took to the podium to discuss the third standard, know what you have, and took us through the key stages of their journey from 2012’s Forest and Woodland Strategy, through to the Nature Emergency declared last year. 2013 saw an iTree survey take inventory of the city’s trees, to inform the action plan the following year in 2014 to address the attrition (damage, vandalism, weather, etc.) by initially crunching numbers. 75% are privately owned, creating intricate challenges, but they have still achieved 36% towards the overall target and became a Tree City in 2020. From here, new realistic targets could be set for achieving a ‘Million Tree City’, introducing citizen science projects to involve the public and increase benefits for those residents, keeping it simple to build on their curiosity; communal involvement sheds true light on the urban environment.
Steven Cuthill presenting for Edinburgh Council, with Kathryn Hand from Forest Research.
Kathryn Hand of Forest Research joined Steven, by delving into the reasons citizen science projects are imperative for community engagement, data collection, and long-term establishment or maintenance. We already know trees make us happier and healthier, so those that participate feel those benefits, and by engaging as soon as possible the motivation is increased, and the networking sustained over the period of the project. Online projects are challenging in the sense there’s no face-to-face contact, that’s why group fieldwork appears to draw garner and endure attention, due to the increase in social benefits and targeted localised work is more appealing, especially to individuals.
Chris Engel presenting for Cardiff Council with Catherine Horan of Trees for Cities.
Cardiff Council
Cardiff Council’s Chris Engel’s presentation discussed the fourth standard for becoming a Tree City of the World, allocating resources, and the council’s ambition to crease the canopy cover from 18.9% to 25% by 2030, where most cities have a baseline of achieving 10%. They primarily had no expansive budget and hence realised the trees were merely being maintained, for those that weren’t lost, so the One Planet Cardiff Strategy – with a net zero ambition – was introduced, an iTree survey conducted 2015-16, and their pilot project secured almost one million in sponsorship, funding two paid posts to organise the programme and volunteers (similarly to the Future Parks Accelerator and Urban Forest Accelerator programmes). The most impressive feat this council has undertaken is the installation of what was originally a temporary, intermediary tree nursery for the city, eventually moving onto growing their own trees from seed.
Catherine Horan of Tree for Cities led the second part of this presentation, exploring the role of procurement and the social value of green projects, with an emphasis of the economic and environmental benefits that come alongside.
Ipswich Borough Council
Ipswich Borough Council’s Lisa Stannard covered the fifth standard of celebrating achievements, humorously highlighting the detest for national holidays the project manager harboured, so ‘Ipswich Loves Trees Day’ was born on Valentine’s Day. Through advising and informing that whip planting was good for families with children as well as Councillors, with the trees eventually growing to meet the requirements needed. By teaching people a new understanding of trees, such as the physical well-being, mental health, and social benefits, the community engaged tree planting was well-received, leading to the council establishing community orchards in half of the wards in the area so far (with an aim for one in every ward).
Lisa StannardSusannah Littlewood
The City of Ealing has been a Tree City for 5 years, and Trees for Cities’ Susannah Littlewood discussed their annual celebration, Ealing Tree Festival, beginning 2022. The initial event garnered 100 attendees to visit the many arts and crafts, nature, and tree-themed stands. The 2023 festival celebrated the programme by mobilising the community, and teaching more tree benefits to expand the residential knowledge, leading to the 2024 festival taking place across the 7 towns of Ealing.
Questions & Answers Session
During the questions and answers at the end of the presentation session, a question was asked concerning the measurement of tree establishment, where Edinburgh stated although they account for net gain losses in tree numbers, there is still more work to do on mortality rates, a theme that unfortunately plagues all of tree planting. That’s why these councils and non-profit organisations are working closely with communities, encouraging them to take ownership of their local trees, to care for them and see them grow with us.
Due to a technical error, Ana Macías from Arbocity – representing a Spanish Tree City – was unable to give her full presentation, but for what was heard the themes were carried over from the previous talks, like upskilling through courses, raising awareness through conferences and event presence, and planting with community engagement. The residents are at the heart of the urban forest in any country around the globe.
Tree Cities Afternoon Sessions
The afternoon sessions saw the participants working with facilitators at each table, planning and reviewing new themes and ideas for the expansion of the Tree Cities network and scheme in the UK. After the inspiring talks beforehand, the discussions were insightful and fruitful, and the future of the Tree Cities of the World programme in the UK looks adequately bright.
We want to deeply thank every enthusiastic organiser, speaker, sponsor, and attendee individually, for making this conference a ‘start as we mean to go on’ moment, leaving us waiting eagerly for the second UK Tree Cities Forum next year.
Birmingham lost its long serving parks director – Darren Share – last Christmas, when he made the career move to take over as the Director of The Royal Parks. This was probably the only move that was a promotion from the multi-award-winning Brum Parks. Darren is involved in producing a comprehensive tree strategy, that binds all the various Royal Parks Strategies together, so where better to look than BTP, with our exemplar Urban Forest Masterplan.
Consequently, BTP got an invitation to present the UFMP as a case study to the Royal Parks Trustees and managers for them to consider, and Mac was asked to attend the Old Police House (RP have their own Police Force) in Hyde Park to make the presentation. He was joined by Tony Kirkham, as the only other external guest to present to a packed room, on a day dedicated to strategic tree management.
Our presentation took the attendees on the journey from 2016 to the present day, highlighting the 18 months of intense work to produce the UK’s first masterplan. It was very well received by the board, and we hope we have been beneficial in managing the King’s trees.
Katy Hawkins ran a tree-lated story workshop, alongside Nechells POD, under the canopy of Bloomsbury Park trees on 30th May. Synthia, local storyteller, assisted Katy with the workshop and also spun an enthralling yarn, in between tree activities!
The sun beamed down in between light showers, under the gazebo with warm blankets, exchanging knowledge and stories about nature.
The generous lunch spread was thoroughly enjoyed by all children and parents alike, and one of the wonderful participants included Halima, who came from Hall Green to attend.
We wanted to thank the roughly 30 people who attended, as well as the POD, Synthia, and Julianne. It was a great turnout, and we hope to see some of you again very soon!
Street Tree Surveying in Perry Barr last Saturday 25th saw Jeevan, Sonja, Lawrence, Valerie, Mario, Gig, and Tanim – alongside Nina Griffiths – survey 13 trees in the morning, and 16 trees in the afternoon! Unfortunately the next two days were rained off with the rather soggy weather we’ve had recently, but we have some survey dates booked in for June for those who would like to get involved! We have until November to survey 3,000 trees… Let’s go!
