Lawrence Weston is a Director of Clent Hills Orchards CIC and a Trustee of Birmingham TreePeople. Recently, Lawrence finished a insightful report on Orchard Equity Mapping.
This project represents the first comprehensive mapping and survey of publicly accessible fruit trees and orchards in Birmingham, establishing an essential evidence base for future planning, management, and community engagement. The documentation of 1,680 fruit trees across 86 orchards provides a clear picture of both the strengths and the inequities within the city’s current orchard network.
Thank you to Birmingham City Council’s Food Legends Fund for making this work possible.
This year, working with trees I’ve not yet worked with, I’ve been spending time getting to know them a little better. I’ve been reading what others know about them, and looking out for them whilst on wanders, learning to notice what makes them, them.
I wanted to share some of my research with you and links to interesting podcasts, books, relating to them and tips for identifying, ways of interacting and working with them.
FIG
A well known tree, in itself and, for the fruits it produces, the Fig is an incredibly ancient tree. Estimated to have been on the earth 60 – 80 million years ago, today it grows on all continents apart from the Antarctica. Both facts show us how skilled the tree is at adapting to a changing earth and environment, which is partly why we want to work with it here, in Birmingham.
Here is the best podcast I’ve listened to on the fig:
Featuring an interview with Mike Shanahan author of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees.
I loved learning that a fig is technically not a fruit but a round ball full of flowers on the inside. Historically, a wasp would crawl into the ball to pollinate the flowers inside and lay their eggs inside. Then these new fig wasps would mate inside before eating their way out to pollinate elsewhere.
The figs that we buy and eat from the supermarket have been developed by farmers over thousands of years and don’t always require wasps to pollinate them but if they do the female wasp will have zipped off before we eat the fig.
It talks about how and why figs have found themselves at the centre of creation stories in religions across the world – with the fig leaf often used as a form of clothing or cloth in many stories. In one tale, Mithra, a Persian god, is said to have emerged from a rock beside a sacred fig tree, and he is also described as having dressed himself in fig leaves.
And it talks of famous figs, the one Buddha sat under, or specific species such as the Banyan tree whose aerial roots shoot from branches travelling down into the ground to give extra support and give the impression of being a forest, in just one tree.
“fig tree” by fsse8info, CC BY-SA 2.0
WESTERN RED CEDAR
I definitely wasn’t confident on IDing a western red cedar – which is in fact not a cedar but a cypress tree.
The best top tip was knowing that the fern like, waxy, scaly leaves give off a fruit (some say pineapple) aroma – it’s a really vibrant cheeky scent and will help you distinguish between this tree and, for example, the lawson cypress with similar fern-like leaves (with its own distinctive bluish small cone like, woody fruits that also have an amazing smell, released on the piercing of the skin)
It’s got recognisably fibrous reddish bark but often taking the form of a hedge it’s not always so visible.
I learnt a lot about the tree through the Completely Arbortrary podcast episode on the tree –
The tree was sacred in the lives of the indigenous people of the pacific north west coast – the area to which it is native – who respectfully alongside with the tree, cultures and spirituality tied up with it. Often referred to as the tree of life, it’s uses include canoes, totem and mortuary poles, clothing, hats, cradles, coffins, masks, combs, spirit whistles, with a practice of making such each part of the tree was used, so not to waste anything – including the roots used for cord, the needles extracted for teas. The tree however would not be felled but rather, fallen limbs would be used, else boards would be split from standing trees, using a wedge made of yew or antler. The tree being especially rot resistant – would keep growing and living intact – indigenous peoples’ only taking what was needed.
Notably it was recorded that few western red cedar trees were felled before European contact.
“Western Red Cedar leaves” by David Prasad, CC BY-SA 2.0
ELM
Elm leaves have ridged surfaces (similar to hornbeam) with toothy edges (serrated). They don’t lay flat and are quite unruly looking (compared to the neat hornbeam).
The main way you can tell it’s an elm is that the base of the leaf is not symmetrical (you’ll know when you see one!)
As lots will know we very sadly lost most of the mature elms in this country during the 1970 – 1980s with the widespread outbreak of Dutch elm disease (DED), a fungal disease spread by a beetle which works to clog up the internal vascular system of the tree (that it uses to transport waters and sugars) and so killing it.
It is really exciting to be planting elms this year, for the first year – the DED-resistant New Horizon cultivar – a hybrid between Japanese and Siberian elms (U. davidiana var. japonica and U. pumila)
The fungus, originating from Asia, however doesn’t affect elms native to parts of the Asian continent – the trees having co-evolved with the fungus and thus carrying a natural resistance. This is why we are now planting trees bred from Japan and Siberia.
One of the huge associated threats in the UK with loss of Elms was to the white letter streak butterfly, on which the tree depends for its primary (and non-negotiable) food source.
It’s important to note that the New Horizon successfully works to support the butterflies, providing this vital food source for local populations replacing English elms.
One of the podcasts I found most informative on Elms and especially in relation to DED was a BBC Scotland programme: Saving the Great British Elm with David Shreeve and Max Coleman
Beyond the New Horizon and other comparable new cultivars – as the podcast shares – there are also many breeding programmes underway between elms that did survive DED in the UK – of which there are many more than had initially been thought.
Interestingly the podcast talks about a difference between resistance (that they can be inhabited by the disease and fight it off) and resilient: that they perhaps have qualities that make it less desirable. In Scotland, it is the offspring of the DED resistance/resilient Elms that are being part of elm re-population efforts.
The podcast also touches on a bit on our recent – european – history with elms: with its strong wood and nutritious shoots and leaves its provided valuable animal feed, wood for lock gates, or as blocks of wood under and supporting London bridges.
Relating to planting disease resistant species – to note that in 2023 we excitingly planted a number of american ash trees – exciting as unlike a majority of our european native ash trees, they appear to be resistant to ash dieback (an air bourne fungal infection). The prognosis for ash is looking a little better than it did for elm in the 1970/80s but it is and will continue to be a monumental loss of the tree environmentally, emotionally, financially.
Planted in Nechells and Bromford: get in touch if you’d like to know more about their whereabouts!
“Elm leaves” by Blondinrikard Fröberg, CC BY 2.0
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If you live in Alum Rock or Sparkhill and are keen to be involved in planting up some of these exciting, generous trees – get in touch!
If you have any fun tips, facts, ways of knowing these trees it’d be great to hear 🙂
Look out for another blog post about other trees we’re working with this year including the Judas tree.
We’re currently seeing record levels of human migration which is a direct result of a worsening climate crisis that disproportionately affects countries within the “Global South”1. This Global North – Global South divide is based on GDP per capita, and is a division that is shaped by colonialism and its lasting impact. In extreme cases, entire communities are being forced to leave their homes as they suffer natural disasters, war and persecution. The place they were born no longer having the safety and conditions needed for them to thrive – or in some cases – survive. When we think about migration in a human context, it is defined by political borders. Lines drawn on a map.
Nature, however, is not bound by political borders even though we do use them to define what is ‘native’. Trees have what’s called a ‘native range’ which is the areas of the world in which they occur naturally, without human intervention. They are boundaried only by abiotic factors (nonliving things) such as climate, rainfall, availability of sunlight and topography. And increasingly by biotic factors (living things) that affect a tree’s habitat potential. We’re learning more and more about their deep relationship with (and often dependence on) other living things.
There are many species that here in the UK we classify to be native and some that are held up as symbols of British nationalism, the Common oak (Quercus robur) being a prime example. In fact, Common oak is also known (in Britain at least) as English oak for this patriotic reason. However, even these native species, throughout history, have moved and migrated and are migrating still. Oaks, like most species vanished from the UK during the last ice age and then took around 6,000 years to slowly recolonise the whole of the British Isles. 2
In the UK we’re seeing hotter summers, milder winters and heavier, sudden rainfall known as cloudburst events. All of these changes can add stress to trees and fluctuate their habitat potential. In cities, where Urban Heat Island Effect can play a big part in how severe a drought is, we’re seeing a decline in some native species such as birch, rowan, willow and alder and they have started a northward migration toward cooler climates. At the same time we are seeing an increase in species that would otherwise have struggled here, now able to survive as winters that were historically too cold are now becoming milder. For orchard fans this means an opportunity for figs, almonds, peaches and many more.
A paper recently produced in partnership with Kew Gardens 3 in London showed how through plotting future climate scenarios for the UK against known existing native ranges for commonly planted tree species we can now see which trees are going to struggle first and which species will be beneficial migrants that can support our future urban forests. It’s predicted that the UK climate by 2090 will resemble the existing climate of southeastern Europe (think Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia etc.) and so by looking at species that are currently thriving there, or that are most common there, we can prioritise these species when planting.
Red markers indicate past, present and future UK conditions. Black markers show existing observations of species. The closer the red marker labelled “2090” is to the centre of the black markers, the better suited that species will be to the projected UK climate in years to come.
We still have a deep relationship and emotional connection to our historically native trees and will continue to do so even as their numbers lessen. To support our native and naturalised trees we should celebrate where they are adapting to climate change and we should explore new opportunities for habitat changes that could help secure their future. We already know that if we want silver birch or rowan in our cities or alder and willow along our river and canal edges we need to protect their habitat potential. If we can engage those involved in city planning and management we can increase rainwater harvesting, install better sustainable urban drainage systems and even underplant large climate resilient species with our native trees.
However, we should be careful to avoid a native-only or native-first approach that risks our communities. We must also open our arms to the migrants – the future trees of our cities – to whom we will become more and more indebted for the health and well being benefits they bring. If we’re unable to accept help from new migrants to support the existing tree stock, we will lose huge numbers of urban trees, the benefits of which will take years to recover.
At Birmingham TreePeople we’re planting a huge range of species each year that have proven abilities to thrive in the warmest urban settings, withstand drought and flood events and high levels of air pollution. This year we’re planting nine new Golden Rain Trees (Koelreuteria paniculata) which shows great potential to thrive in future UK climate scenarios.
Independent Commission on International Development Issues, North–South: A Programme for Survival (London: Pan, 1980)
Lowe, et al. (2005). Route, speed and mode of Oak Postglacial colonisation across the British Isles: Integrating molecular ecology, palaeoecology and modelling approaches. (Botanical Journal of Scotland. 57. 59-81.)
Kevin W E Martin, Henrik Sjöman – Evaluating urban tree population fitness for a changing climate: Using climatic moisture index (Trees, Forests and People, Volume 22, 2025)
We have been thinking about our calendar and ways in which we organise time. We have also been thinking about all the trees around Birmingham. There are roughly over a million trees in Birmingham, some old, some new; some native, some not. At the start of each lunar month we will be sharing some that have stood out to us – A Tree Calendar!
21st September is a New Moon, the New Moon of this lunar month. Typically, there aren’t names for the whole month but rather the full moon of the lunar cycle. This upcoming one is the Harvest Moon (Anglo-Saxon) which is on the 7th October. This moon is also known as Binaakwe-giizis (Falling Leaves Moon) by Ojibwe and Whiringa-ā-nuku by Maori to name just a few
It is also called Chuseok in Korea and is a major mid-autumn harvest festival and a three-day holiday in South Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunisolar calendar on the full moon.
Why Lunar months you ask?
When thinking about how and when we wanted to share our pictures of trees around Brum we of course though a monthly post would be great.
A month is “is a unit of time, used within calendars, that is approximately as long as a natural phase cycle of the Moon”
Did you know the words “month” and “Moon” share a similar etymological origin, making them cognates?
For millennia, various cultures and civilisations around the world have used the Moon as a calendar. Its phases and cycles were observed and recorded, allowing people to track time. While modern analogue watches mark hours and minutes, ancient civilisations likely prioritised tracking days, weeks, and seasons, they probably weren’t working a 9-5. The Sun would have helped mark the days, and the Moon would have been used to mark weeks, months, and seasons.
In western we typically use a Gregorian calendar month which averages 30.4 days, based on Earth’s orbit around the Sun. We can consider the Gregorian calendar as out of sync for a few reasons.
The Gregorian calendar’s focus on solar cycles ignores the moon, which impacts life on Earth massively. Lunar rhythms affect ocean tides, farming and agricultural cycles, and even human biology, from sleep patterns to menstrual cycles. By neglecting these rhythms, the Gregorian calendar is detached from the natural world.
The names of the months within a Gregorian calendar are based on mythology and politics. March honours Mars, the Roman god of war, while July and August were added to glorify Roman emperors Julius Caesar and Augustus. September, October, November, and December come from Latin numbers meaning seven, eight, nine, and ten. Yet, these are now the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th months. These have now led to a mishmash of names and meanings.
It has colonial roots that keep us disconnected from nature. This calendar was imposed globally during the colonial era and replaced Indigenous timekeeping systems that were deeply tied to local ecosystems. Replacing such systems imposes a Eurocentric view of time and has distanced many of us from cultural knowledge.
There are eight moon phases:
New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and Waning Crescent.
Lunations, or synodic/lunar months, measure the time between two consecutive identical phases of the moon (e.g, new moon to new moon) as viewed from Earth. A full lunar month lasts about 29.53 days, meaning there are roughly 12.37 such months in an Earth year.
A challenge arises because there are typically 13 full or new moons in a year. Since the Earth’s movement around the Sun governs the seasons, and a normal year has 365 days (366 in a leap year), roughly every two and a half years, a 13th full moon appears within the year. This additional full moon, which doesn’t fit the usual naming scheme, is called a “Blue Moon.” This makes it difficult to create an accurate, rule-based calendar that takes into consideration both the Moon’s phases, and the yearly season.
Archaeologists have excavated tally sticks, suggesting people counted days, based on Moon phases as early as the Paleolithic age. We also know that our ancient ancestors marked the movements of the Sun from the alignments of stone circles, which mark the solstices.
Ancient civilisations, from the Maya to the Druids to countless Indigenous cultures, followed lunar or ecological calendars that aligned with the rhythms of their environments. These ways of tracking time were also essential frameworks for living in ways that were harmonious with the Earth and the land.
In Celtic culture, trees play an important part in astrology and the zodiac. Within the Celtic Tree Calendar each lunar month is assigned and ruled by different UK native tree. This is also tied in with the old Ogham alphabet and therefore each tree has a corresponding letter.
The Coligny Calendar serves as another example of an attempt to reconcile the cycles of both the Moon and the Sun. It is believed that this system might have been in use for 1,000 years, predating the Celts. It seems plausible that these ancestors used the Moon’s phases to mark days and the Sun’s movement to track the changing seasons.
So, our Tree Calendar is just a small way in which we are trying to be more in sync with the natural world around us.
Tree Calendar 001
Scientific name: Fraxinusexcelsior
Common name: Ash
Ward: Stirchley
W3W location: ///safe.escape.dozed
This enormous Ash tree is hidden within a small patch of woodland at the very top of Hazelwell park. It’s trunk is around 2.8m in circumference making it likely to be over 100 years old. The tree was pollarded at some point in its history, possibly following storm damage and now a dense new canopy is visible. In Norse mythology the World Tree or Yggdrasil was Ash. It is an immense and central sacred tree in Norse cosmology. It’s great trunk reached up to the heavens where the gods held their council beneath it’s branches.
Look to the north of the old Ash tree and see a line of great Oaks, some of which have lived through more than three human lifetimes based on their measurements.
Hosted by Charley as her final event with us at Birmingham TreePeople for the Urban Tree Festival 2025, we celebrated urban trees by walking through the legacy, magic, and species of the forest dedicated to Benjamin Zephaniah in Burbury Park, Newtown, where he grew up for a time with his family, Benjamin Zephaniah Family Legacy Group.
Attended by winning poets Annie Colloby, Phil Buckley, and Manish Popat-Szabries, as well as Benjamin’s family Joyce, Frank, and Daniel Springer, family friend Saida Chowdhury, and several other wonderful people, we walked through selected trees within The Zephaniah Forest.
The diverse species planted here range from Chinese Dogwood planted by Qian Zephaniah in November 2024 for National Tree Week (adjacent to Farm Street, where they lived), through to the hardy Fig tree planted by all of his friends, family, forest supporters, and local residents in February 2025. This will ideally climate-proof this park, creating a better chance for these trees and the legacy to survive.
We also talked about the incredible myths, legends, and practices surrounding the various species, ranging from Biblical to Ancient to medical to magical. The beautiful poems were carefully selected to pair with certain species of trees; these wonderful ideas can be tied to the legend of Benjamin in Birmingham, a true wonder of his time, and trees represent each day of his inspiring life. Charley said:
It has been an honour and a pleasure; I will cherish my time and passion for The Zephaniah Forest, just as the trees carry the legacy of Benjamin Zephaniah beyond our time. A piece of my heart is with everyone who has been involved with this project, and I’ve made friends whom I hope last my lifetime.
Deanne (Dee) Brettle, Chair, and Charlotte (Charley) McDermott, Communications, represented Birmingham TreePeople as Cheshire Tree Alliance’s 2025 Conference Keynote Speakers last weekend.
Sunday 6th April, BTP were invited to give a presentation at Sandbach Town Hall, hosted by Cheshire Tree Alliance and Sandbach Town Council, Birmingham TreePeople: Zero to Hero, telling the story of how our charity came to be, the wonderful community-based tree work we do in Birmingham, and how we can inspire others to do the same for their towns and cities.
The incredible, sunny day consisted of: • Introduction with Tim Wheatcroft from Sandbach Town Council • Birmingham TreePeople: Zero to Hero with Deanne and Charley • Small Scale Tree Planting with Councillor Sam Corcoran from Cheshire East Council, Champion for Climate Change • Transition Wilmslow and Mersey Forest Tree Planting Pilot with Councillor Elaine Evans • Panel Discussion with the first half of presenters, on How to Plant in Urban Spaces, as well as burning questions from the presentations • Working with Communities to Plant Trees with Ben Greenaway from Mersey Forest • Networking lunch before more presentations • More With Trees: The Mersey Forest Plan 2025 with Susannah Gill from Mersey Forest • Tree Propagation with Dan Nash from Cheshire Wildlife Trust • Open Mic: Cheshire Tree Groups included talks with Patti Pinto from Trees for Congleton, Tree Wardens with Charlie Knowles from The Tree Council, Emma from Sandbach Woodland & Wildlife Group, and Paul from Goostrees
We would like to thank Sandbach Town Council and Cheshire Tree Alliance for their invite, warm welcome, and beautiful town filled with inspired people – people who love trees.
If you’re interested in BTP telling our story at your conference or event, please email us at: info@birminghamtreepeople.org.uk
As part of our community co-produced planting programme in Alum Rock, we were delighted to form a partnership with The Washwood Heath Academy Sixth Form working with them to plant up new street trees in Alum Rock and also on their school grounds.
We were initially connected to Miss Khan, head of sixth form, getting to learn about the litter picks and street care activity the sixth form pupils were involved in and how they were wanting to explore getting more street trees planted in order to improve the local climate and environment. A perfect partnership.
We met to plant up a lovely sweetgum tree (which our research shows is the most successful at establishing on Birmmingham streets). The pupils were brilliant, being involved in all aspects of the planting including the fixing of the cage onto the tree.
Travelling over to the school, we then planted together a ginkgo, paulownia and tulip, after collective discussions around the importance of trees in cities, and especially one as urbanised as Birmingham, and the power of being able to make positive environmental change in our places.
We learned together too about the rich histories of the trees we were planting, native to North America and China and the historic uses of them and folklore attached: tulip trees, native to north America, were often used to make canoes from due to their long straight bodies, earning the name canoe tree, their height connected to symbolisms around them, seen as intermediatories between the earth and the sky.
It was a complete pleasure to work with the pupils, with all their care and commitment, and we look forward to continuing to connect with Washwood Heath Academy to support ongoing care for the trees planted.
A beautiful day was had on 27th March supporting Go-Woman! Alliance (GOAL) and Count Me In Forum in planting a Ginkgo Tree, Sweet Gum Tree, and Peanut Tree on Phillimore Road, Alum Rock. A huge thanks to Katy and Lawrence, as well as Birmingham City Council’s Woodland Team, for their incredible support and putting this project together.
This project has been all about nurturing community spirit, promoting care for our environment, and bringing more greenery to Alum Rock. It was a wonderful hands-on experience, where participants from GOAL and CMI Women’s Forum got involved in the planting process and connected with the community. Some locals have even said they will support the forum and adopted the trees to ensure they thrive!
Last Wednesday 19th March, a keen group of Sparkbrook residents, helped by Councillor Izzy Knowles, planted 5 trees supplied by Birmingham TreePeople to improve their local environment. A Magnolia Galaxy went in next to the bus-stop, and a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glypto ’Goldeush’) was given a more generous planting location in which to flourish and grow. Thursday morning a bench was also installed in commemoration.
We were very lucky with the glorious sunny weather, but local resident Pav made it his first duty to give all the trees a deeply refreshing drink of water! The other trees planted were two pears, Doyen du Comice, and a Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Skyline’. Pav kindly said, “You gave us five beautiful trees for the green space on Woodstock Road and Yardley Wood Road in Moseley, so wanted to say a huge thank you. The trees are helping the community to come together as one.”
Thank you to Katy Hawkins for sorting out the trees, Birmingham City Council Woodland Team’s Leon and Pete for delivering them, Nick at the Bromford Depot for care-taking the trees, Steve Pool for essential support, and Izzy Knowles for making it happen. Images by Pav and Julianne.
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.
Bringing trees and the arts together
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.
We are eternally grateful for the generosity of St Johns House, especially Mercy, who has been our long-term partner on this piece of work, who made the planting today so special by bringing together all the contributions from the women. We are looking forward to a visit in the spring for another tree walk and maybe, if the Sophora can spare a leaf, to try a bit of tea made with them.
Lawrence Weston, Trustee in charge of the new Orchard Programme, has recently run five incredible grafting workshops in South Birmingham, after launching the project. We were joined by Minworth Action Projects at the Minworth workshops, who we recently planted a new orchard with, and continuing that work, these grafting sessions are designed to give local volunteers the knowledge they need to look after the community’s trees.
Some happy grafters at Glebe Farm Library!
We ran workshops at Glebe Farm Library, Sheldon Country Park, and St George’s Church Minworth, where each session was well-attended by keen grafters of all ages! Let us know if you’d like us to facilitate a grafting workshop near you. Thank you to everyone who came to the sessions, and especially Frank P Matthews for sponsoring our Orchard Project, allowing these upskilling workshops to happen.
The Zephaniah Forest has been completed in a final planting session.
In Burbury Park, Newtown, there are now 65 new trees signifying each year of a life well-lived and respected, dedicated to Benjamin Zephaniah. In a final celebratory planting session, the legacy forest dedicated to Benjamin was completed by returning community members and volunteers from previous sessions, a myriad of winning poets from the Trees Please, Poetry Please? competition, Cabinet Member for the Environment Councillor Majid Mahmood, fellow Birmingham City Council representative Pat Whyte, Josh Neicho from Local Storytelling Exchange, Debra from Burbury Park Community Forum (BPCF), Birmingham Open Spaces Forum, as well as Millicent Springer (Benjamin’s sister from the Benjamin Zephaniah Family Legacy Group [BZFLG]) and Qian Zephaniah (Benjamin’s loving wife).
Thank you to BCC Woodlands Team members Nick and Leon for their continual help, Matt for the logistics and refreshments (making sure we were fed and coffeed), our sponsors Trees for Cities, Veolia, BCC, Frank P Matthews, and all of the groups and individuals who donated towards the initial fundraiser. All of it amounted to this:
There are now 65 trees in The Zephaniah Forest, dedicated to Benjamin Zephaniah, in what we and BZFLG, as well as BPCF and Birmingham Empowerment Forum, shall ensure will be a growing and lasting legacy for a legend in his hometown.
We were joined by friends from the Refugee and Migrant Centre, on 6th February 2025, to help plant nine more trees in The Zephaniah Forest. Together we spent the morning digging holes and carefully unwrapping the trees, ready for their new home in Burbury Park. Millicent Springer, sister of Benjamin and member of the Benjamin Zephaniah Family Legacy Group, also joined this wonderful planting session in her brother’s honour.
We planted a mix of species, including Catalpa (Bean tree), Fagus sylvatica Purpurea (purple Beech), Tamarix Africana, Chitalpa (Desert willow) and two Cornus or Dogwood cultivars. The multi-stemmed Cornus are left without cages – to spread their branches without risking damage – whilst the taller, top heavy Chitalpa was supported with a cage and stakes. In both cases, the aim is to build strength in the trees as they resist the forces that are sometimes against them. Their roots eventually giving them greater security.
Thank you to the volunteers from the Refugee & Migrant Centre, as well as Ranger Penny and the Woodland Team from sponsor Birmingham City Council, as well as our other sponsors Trees for Cities and Veolia, for making this incredible quest happen: the quest to honour Benjamin Zephaniah by planting 65 trees in The Zephaniah Forest.
We teamed up with Birmingham City University students for Go Green Week on Friday 30th January. The keen squad joined Matt and Charley – with support from Birmingham City Council Woodlands Team’s Leon and Nick – to fulfill some of our targets towards the Urban Forest Masterplan for Birmingham. We had a wonderful few hours of tree planting with BCU Volunteering Team!
The new trees have been planted in Newtown, targeting low canopy areas of Birmingham, in order to create fairer tree equity for these neighbourhoods and their communities. This means we want to raise the amount of trees in each ward to 25% canopy cover, for the people’s fairer access to trees and their myriad of benefits.
Thank you to the students and staff from the Volunteering Team at BCU, Matt our Operations Manager for arranging and hosting the session, and the Woodlands Team at BCC, for helping us towards these fantastic goals, whilst simultaneously contributing towards Go Green Week! What a perfect way to do so, if we do say so ourselves.
On 23rd January we planted more trees with Millicent, Benjamin’s sister, as well as returning volunteer Ebony, and several other amazing local people in Burbury Park for The Zephaniah Forest! Millicent bought a marker to write her family’s names on the trees some of them planted together before Christmas. The rain never stops us, and Benjamin always makes the sun shine on our group right at the end.
We were joined by Yvonne from Birmingham Open Spaces Forum as well as BCC’s Pat Whyte, and a member of Burbury Park Community Forum! Thank you to everyone who helped us, Katy for the snack table, particularly Birmingham City Council Woodlands Team member Nick and a few incredible guys from the Parks Team, as well as Penny who has helped us for several of these plantings.
Our FINAL PLANTING DAY will be 13th February 2025, 10:30am, and we want to see EVERYONE there to plant the last 9 trees dedicated to Benjamin Zephaniah. Other main sponsors: Trees for Cities, Veolia
