India's Green Heritage: An introduction

India, a land of rich cultural heritage, holds a profound reverence for its trees. From sacred rituals to medicinal remedies, trees are deeply woven into the tapestry of Indian traditions, cuisine, medicine, and culture. Let's embark on a journey to understand the multifaceted role of trees in India. 

Sacred Significance

Indian trees hold a lot of sacred significance. The peepal tree, often referred to as the sacred fig, is planted near homes and temples and symbolises enlightenment.

Another tree that holds sacred significance is the banyan tree. The banyan tree is given the title of ā€˜Tree of Lifeā€™ and is used for shelter and gatherings alike. 

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Some of the trees are also known to hold medicinal properties, for example the neem tree and the bael tree.

The neem tree is said to have a lot of use in Ayurvedic medicine, which is a system of traditional medicine native to Indian culture, due to its antifungal and antibacterial properties.

The Bael tree is also used significantly to reduce inflammation and swellings. This can help treat conditions like asthma, diarrhoea, etc. 

Hand in hand, the leaves of these trees are also often used culinarily. The medicinal properties make using these leaves in day-to-day foods beneficial for one's health while also adding taste.

Bael tree leaves, for instance, are used in desserts and beverages and are well known for their digestive abilities. 

Cultural Roles

Culturally, trees are important to Indian customs. They are important in arts, literature, festivals, rituals, symbols and mythology as well. 

Final Reflections

Trees in India are not merely natural resources, but sacred entities deeply embedded in the country's traditions, daily life and rich cultural tapestry. Understanding and preserving this relationship is essential for fostering environmental stewardship and cultural heritage conservation.

Image Credits: Krisha Valia

Edited by: Rhodri Regan

Have you ever wondered why you always feel great, when surrounded by trees?

Turns out, science can explain this. Spending time in nature, amidst trees, lowers cortisol levels, enhances mood, boosts your immune system, reduces stress sparks creativity, and helps increase overall mental well-being.

Eucalyptus Trees

Eucalyptus trees release oils that help you breathe easier. When you're working out, this means more oxygen gets to your muscles, maximising your athletic performance. Breathing in this fresh, clean scent can also help people suffering with asthma, making outdoor exercise easier and more enjoyable. Moreover, the oils are also widely used in natural medicine because they're great at fighting germs and reducing swelling.

Maple Trees

As some of you may know, maple trees produce maple sap, which is harvested in the spring. Maple sap is very nutrititous as its rich in electrolytes such as potassium and calcium, making it a perfect hydration option for revitalising your body during or after exercising. You could call it natures version of Gatorade!

Pine Trees

Pine trees are known to aid relaxation. Studies show that breathing in the scent of pine can actually lower your stress levels and improve your mood.

In addition to this, pine trees are renowned for their ability to purify the air, releasing compounds called phytoncides. Breathing in these phytoncides can boost your immune system and improve respiratory health, making outdoor workouts even more energising.

Next time you're hiking through a pine forest or simply having a stroll in your local park, know that the pine trees are working overtime to keep you healthy and feeling good.

Birch Trees

Much like maple trees, birch trees are known for their sap. Which has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. Birch sap is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it a natural tonic for the body. When consumed, it can boost your energy levels and support your immune system, perfect for replenishing your energy after a workout.

The Final Word

Next time you're out for a run or hitting the park for a workout, give those trees a nod of appreciation. They're not just part of the scenery ā€“ they're your secret weapon for a healthier, fitter you.

Image Credits: Rhodri Regan

Model: Kaushik Padmanaban

Itā€™s a lilac tree. It was always there when I was a kid and was even there before my parents moved into the house in the 1960ā€™s. The house was new then but before the current house was built the plot of land was occupied by one of the many prefabs built just after the war that originally made up the estate. Lilac trees arenā€™t native to England so someone long dead who lived in a prefab in the 1950ā€™s must have planted it there.

In the late 1960ā€™s my mum said Mrs Smith next door told my dad how pretty the tree was and that it might be a good idea NOT to build his garden shed in front of it - Advice my dad sadly ignored. Consequently throughout my lifetime it was always poking up behind my dadā€™s creation. At one point in the early eighties it even towered above it before it was swamped in the 1990ā€™s by even bigger native trees that had rooted just over the fence in the adjoining garden.

About six years ago my mum paid a handy man to put up a new garden fence. Still unwilling to tackle the neighbourā€™s hedgerow this new fence was re-positioned to make our garden smaller still. In the process he also cut down any vegetation on our side which included any remnants of my lilac tree.

The tree was made up of lots of thin trunks clumped together but growing separately out of the ground. I was sad it had gone but noticed one solitary stalk had survived the onslaught. This however was now marooned in the overgrown no manā€™s land between the gardens on the other side of the new fence. The people living in the adjoining property would regularly slice it in half as they tried to cut down their hedgerow to a manageable height. How ignorant! I thought. - They obviously donā€™t deserve such a nice tree.

I looked out of the bedroom window the other morning and noticed these people in the council bungalow at the bottom had moved out. I thought this was an ideal opportunity to move the fence back to where it was supposed to be and put the tree on our side of the border once again.

I confess itā€™s a bit odd to be sentimental about this tree now as when I was growing up a part of me kind of resented this overgrown shrub. What I really wanted was a classic boyā€™s tree that you could build a tree house in but you just didnā€™t get those kinds of solid old trees in a relatively new housing estate garden. This didnā€™t stop me trying to climb it though and I could get about five feet off the ground. There werenā€™t many horizontal footholds and the spindly branches frequently gave way to my weight if I tried to get any higher.

Having ā€˜read upā€™ on the lilac tree (or the ā€˜Syringa treeā€™) Iā€™ve discovered that the blossom apparently has a nice scent. Something we never really appreciated as it was way too high. In fact youā€™re supposed to keep a lilac tree pruned to ā€˜head heightā€™ so you can enjoy its fragrance.

I feel as if my tree has taken me on a journey of self discovery. Iā€™ve discovered that as well as the neighbours at the bottom of the garden, both me and my family were a bit ignorant too and we probably didnā€™t deserve such a nice tree either.

Chris Dobrowolski is performing Toy Stories at this years Edinburgh Festival you can book tickets here:

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All images: Chris Dobrowolski

Oxleas wood is part of our national heritage and a South East London treasure. Some parts are as ancient at 8,000 years and go back to the last ice age.

As a teenager, my friends and I would hang out in Oxleas Wood after school, by the derelict C18th folly called Severndroog Castle.

Later as a mother, I walked with my daughters many times to visit these ancient woods. We discovered for ourselves, two distinct oak trees connected together and reaching up towards the sky.

They enjoyed climbing and hiding around these trees, which seem to pull us close and feel familiar somehow.

During the Covid epidemic myself and many others, will remember that a walk in the woods was felt grounding and a place of hope in contrast to the fear and chaos that surrounded us.

Artists Response

As an artist I have responded to these trees with an imagined three headed serpent, hiding up in the trees only to appear when they are safe.

They only reveal themselves to those who are open to seeing them. Like the trees, they are separate yet joined.

The serpent appears and morphs into representations of the stages of womanhood, sometimes they are sisters, sometimes as mother and daughters and sometimes as different emotional states of one being.

Oxleas Wood

Officially designated at a SSSI ā€“ a sight of special scientific interest. You will find Silver Birch, Coppice Hazel, Oak and Hornbeam. You may also find our coupled Oaks.

Painting: Himani Weir/

Sevendroog Photo: Sara Hayes/

Natureā€™s Wellness Boost

In a world that's always rushing, taking some time to connect with trees and nature is very important. That's where outdoor running comes in - It's not just about the exercise - it's about reconnecting with nature and reaping the rewards of its wellness boost.

The next time you're debating between hitting the treadmill or heading outside for a run, consider the many benefits that outdoor running has to offer, especially in the presence of urban trees.

How Trees Boost Your Run

Ever noticed how the air smells fresher when you're out on a run? That's because of phytoncides - natural chemicals released by trees and plants. Breathing in these phytoncides during your outdoor run has been proven to strengthen your immune system and lift your mood (Woodland Trust, 2024). It's like getting a dose of nature's medicine with every breath. Trees like pine, oak, birch, and cedar are particularly known for their high phytoncide emissions.

But it's not just about the air. Research shows that outdoor running can do wonders for your muscles and fitness levels. A study which was conducted over a six-week period found that outdoor runners induced greater physical fitness improvements than those who stuck to the treadmill (Singh et al, 2022).

The changing scenery and fresh air of outdoor environments can provide additional mental stimulation and motivation, leading to longer and more enjoyable runs. Being surrounded by trees has been shown to reduce stress levels and improve mood, enhancing the overall experience of your workout. Speaking of mood, have you ever noticed how much happier you feel after a run outside? That's not just in your headā€”research by Coventry et al. (2021) has shown that outdoor exercise can really boost your mood. There's just something about being around trees that makes all your worries melt away.

And let's not forget about the sun. When you're running outdoors, you're soaking up all that natural sunlight, which is of course a great source of vitamin D. This vitamin is super important for keeping your bones strong and your immune system healthy (BBC Earth Science). So not only are you getting a workout, but you're also giving your body a nice little vitamin D boost.

Why Outdoor Terrain Wins

When it comes to fitness and overall well-being, outdoor running has the upper hand over treadmill running. While treadmills try to mimic outdoor conditions, they simply can't replicate the dynamic terrain and natural variability of outdoor environments. Plus, the repetitive nature of treadmills puts us at a greater risk of wearing out our joints and ligaments which can result in injuries.

Outdoor running, on the other hand, challenges our bodies in different ways with each step, strengthening our muscles, ligaments, and improving our balance and coordination. While treadmills may attempt to mimic the outdoor running experience, there's simply no comparison to the real thing. Plus, the best part? It doesn't cost a thing!

The Final Word - Outdoor Running Wins

Running outdoors gives us the chance to connect with nature, breathe in fresh air, and enjoy the changing scenery, which can be a welcome break from the sameness of indoor exercise. For strength, fitness, and well-being, outdoor running clearly has the edgeā€”and it costs nothing. Next time you're thinking about going for a run, consider heading outside. Your body and mind will thank you for it, and so will the urban trees surrounding you, providing beauty, fresh air, and a connection to nature right in the heart of the city.

Image Credits: Rhodri Regan

Model:

We will only accept events via on-line form this year.

Please fill in the form at the link below. (Support for those who cannot use the form is available). Completing the form saves us many hours on e-mails, last year the ĢĒŠÄÖ±²„ inbox averaged about 200 e-mails per day, and we want to avoid this and consequent wait times this year.

The deadline for submissions this year will be midnight BST 20th April 2024 - giving you twenty days to submit your events! Please ensure your events are uploaded by this date, we cannot accept late submissions this year.

We are happy to receive submissions for online events hosted by you.

We are particularly keen to hear about activities designed with inclusion in mind.

Submit your event here:

An update on Ticketing

Ticketing for events will be managed by the Urban Tree Festival this year. We have the following options for providers to choose from: 

1. Donate all ticket funds to the Urban Tree Festival, 

2. 50% of net ticket revenue paid to the event provider after the festival, 

3. Free events.

4. Urban Tree Festival Sponsors / Local Authorities and community events may manage their own ticketing, please get in touch to discuss.

Please see the submission form for more information: 

We very much encourage event providers to promote their event and the urban Tree Festival via their own social media and on-line marketing. 

Our ticketing system helps us cover our basic running costs, along with your generous donations.

Inclusive Events

We are particularly keen to hear about activities designed with inclusion in mind.

If you have an idea for an event, can evidence that you will be able to deliver to groups within under-represented demographics, and can embrace the theme of heritage and trees as part of your event, please get in touch. 

Early submission is recommended!

ā€œā€ comes with cash prizes, and we have recruited seven volunteer judges, who have a range of expertise and knowledge of the built and natural environment. Their task is to select from the submissions, those which are most appropriate to be made into short audio podcasts that will be geo-located on the platform.

Itā€™s forgettable place, but behind the drabness, people, enthusiasm, and vision live there.  The vision is that West Hendon, situated close to the Welsh Harp reservoir, becomes somewhere where people want to feel they belong and where they can live, and thrive, in a safe and pleasant environment.  Barnet Council is putting money, murals, and meetings into birthing this vision.  So thereā€™s support and intention there. 

To take this further, local people with enthusiasm are essential.  Hereā€™s where the newly formed West Hendon Arts and Culture Society steps forward.  We started in February this year with a plan to run one community evening event a month from March.   The aim of these is to ā€˜Bring joy.  Bridge cultures.  Gel communities. Give understanding of different cultures.ā€™ 

West Hendon is a culturally diverse.  41% of the population was born in the UK and multiple countries and ethnicities are represented.   There is a lot of rented accommodation and a fairly transient population.   

To attract the broadest possible range of residents we planned themed events:  March was St Patrickā€™s Day,  April was Eid, May was the Urban Tree Festival,  June is to be the Summer Solstice.  A core team of 6 people, whoā€™ve never worked together before, are forming, storming and (almost) norming and performing to get the events launched.  

Fast forward, to the Urban Tree Festival on 17 May.  It took place outdoors on what is grandly referred to as ā€˜The Plazaā€™ but which is a pedestrian-only short street flanked by 2 10-story blocks of flats, between the Co-op Supermarket and Double Seal Frames. (No trees on it ā€“ but we live in hope, and perhaps action).

Because our neighbourhood is extreme urban, not trees,  the event was less about trees and more about the natural environment and sustainability.   Our eco show-and-tell champion raised a wonderful turnout of 12 stallholders to come with info, samples, plant swaps, seeds, and other enticements to encourage interaction and learning.  

Stalls included Barnetā€™s Tiny Forest Team who are turning Henleyā€™s Corner on the North Circular into a small pocket of quality green space for benefit of people and wildlife.  London National Park City, a grassroots movement for people making our city greener, healthier and wilder,  NW7 Foodbank Community Garden, and Friends of the Earth.   

Creating additional buzz were the 250+ adults and children who came along.  As well as cruising the stalls some were planting up terrariums in an activity workshop, other making chalk drawings on the pavement, and throughout convivially chatting over local restaurant, Paroā€™s, delicious pizza.   Aiding the event,  weather held good and the jazz duet provided great music for the duration of the evening. 

The feedback was heart-warming, typical was, ā€˜We all felt it was a really great event,ā€™ and ā€˜I was there.  It felt like it was a huge success!!!ā€™  The eco champion reported,  ā€˜The stall holders were very happy with the footfall, we managed to have loads of meaningful conversations about nature, climate change and sustainability.  We definitely achieved our purpose, we are truly happy and had a great time.ā€™   And Barnet Council tweeted ā€˜It was a great event with stalls showcasing their environmentally friendly products and live music!

Pennyā€™s story ā€œ4Everā€ was described as ā€œbeautifully conciseā€ by Dave, and she told the showcase audience that she ā€œis intrigued by the accidental rewilding that happens behind abandoned buildings and loves the way trees grow against obstacles. The story is an answer to the question of what happens to the things we carve in trees as children.ā€

When speaking about his poem ā€œWarning: Dangerous Treeā€, Julian Bishop, revealed that he lived on the ā€œlast road in Londonā€ and that ā€œthere's a walk near his house that borders a school with a high wire fence and last year a sign appeared by a dead tree with WARNING DANGEROUS TREE written on it. A few months on, the tree is now cut up into logs (subject of yet another poem!) but the sign remains. It led him to wonder about the relationship between man and tree and how a tree might have more justification for a sign that said WARNING DANGEROUS PERSONā€¦ā€

Rayna Haralambeiva story ā€œTrees are Poems Sung by the Windā€ was the runner-up, as was Em Grayā€™s poem ā€œEvergreenā€ in the poetry category. The judges also singled out John Bowenā€™s poemā€Jacaranda: Blue on Blueā€ for special mention. All five of the authors have received artwork prints by Alban Low, who illustrated the chapbook, ā€œCANOPY - Secrets of the Treesā€ in which all 12 short listed poems and stories appear. Winners also received a monetary prize of ā‚¬200 each, and with the runners-up each received a yearā€™s Silver membership from competition organisers . Copies of the CANOPY Chapbook are on sale to raise money for future Festivals - do please purchase copies from our online shop.

Urban trees are facing the battle of their lives! Get involved and help us to celebrate them this May

As the importance and value of trees becomes increasingly apparent in our towns and cities, we explore some key questions - why are trees great for everyone? What can we do to celebrate and protect trees in your area? How can connecting with nature and trees in an urban setting improve your health and wellbeing?

This year sees the sixth annual Urban Tree Festival which runs from Saturday 13th to Sunday 21st May 2023, with a whole day event in Camley Street Natural Park, Kings Cross on Saturday the 20th. Festival coordinator Sara Hayes said; ā€œThe Urban Tree festival has proved itself as an outstanding event in the annual calendar, offering educational and fun events which support ecology in an urban setting, and we are really excited to build on the success of previous years!ā€

As before, the festival is a mixture of walks, talks, webinars, writing, family events and music, all centered around urban trees. Based in London, we also have input from other cities this year including Brighton, Colchester, and Sheffield.

If you want to champion trees in your town, get involved to learn more about how you can help to prevent tree loss and support the planting of new trees in your neighbourhood.

Learn about why trees are good for our mental and physical health - how they filter pollution, remove toxins, pump out oxygen, store carbon, nurture 100s of species (including us), mitigate flooding, give us shade and shelter, bring beauty and value to our streets and joy to our hearts.

A highlight of this programme will be a day long event for families and children of all ages, at Camley Street, supported by London Wildlife Trust. Culminating in a performance of songs and poetry about trees.

Visit our website for up to date info on the events in you area, and to book tickets: 

About Us

The Urban Tree Festival started in 2018 and was set up by a group of volunteers in London to highlight the value of urban trees. 

This annual, community celebration of trees: their benefits and beauty, their majesty and magic, in cities, towns and all urban environments. Events, celebrations, walks, talks and storytellings are held across London and the UK, bringing all our communities together to share their enjoyment of trees and nature.

The project is not for profit, and all funds support delivery of future festivals. The 2023 festival is kindly supported by the Mayor of London and Woodland Trust, CPRE London. Most events are free, but we ask that you make a donation on a what you can afford basis to support our work expanding people's knowledge of the value of urban trees. Participating organisations include; the Tree Council, Trees for Cities, Epping Forest Heritage Trust, the Forestry Commission, the Royal Parks Agency, and Black Girls Hike.

Please support us by donating if you can:

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More useful links:

The shortlisted authors will be reading their pieces at the WRITE ABOUT TREES Showcase on Sunday 21 May from 4.30pm (online) - the event at which all will learn who are the winners and runners-up. Winners will be receiving a cash prize!

Shortlisted pieces and their authors:

• Galia Admoni - Tree

• Julian Bishop - Warning: Dangerous Tree

• John Bowen - Jacaranda: Blue on Blue

• Adam Elms - Fallen Comrade

• Em Gray - Evergreen

• Lizzie Gwinnell - Deirdre

• Andrew Halsall Smith - When the Bough Holds Strong

• Rayna Haralambieva - Trees are poems Sung by the Wind

• Cheryl Markosky - Sucking

• Arthur Sparrow - Death of a Veteran

• Penny Walker - 4Ever

• Kyra Williams - The Forest

The tree I wrote about in my entry for the Urban Tree Festival Writing Competition last year was real and utterly familiar to me. I appraised it as I would a painting, touching its textures until something of its secrets spoke to me. But in order to conjure a short piece of fiction around the tree, I went to where I always go first: cultural history.

Across many cultures, trees are portals to other realms, places to connect with deities or ancestors. They possess deep symbolism. When I was researching pear trees I discovered that in China, the pear symbolises longevity and wisdom. In a number of Korean legends, the pear is connected with fertility while the tree itself is associated with comfort. From cultural fragments, I thought of the fragility of my specific pear tree with its sparse and fleeting blossom, its strange location testament to its life before buildings were constructed beside it.

We now know that trees are in hidden communication with one another, through fungal networks beneath the soil. But trees also offer us the opportunity to connect with our human histories in which they are so intimately intertwined. I think about the elder, whose name derives from the Anglo-Saxon word for fire: ā€˜aeldā€™. It is thought its hollow branches were used as bellows, keeping the home fires burning, but folkloric history tells us you must first ask permission to take the wood from the treesā€™ guardian, the Elder Mother. I was mistaken in thinking my neighbourā€™s ginkgo biloba tree was only representative of 18th-century British obsession with all things Chinese. In fact, analysis of pollen deposits indicate the ginkgo once grew here millions of years ago, before dying out long after the dinosaurs departed. Associated with resilience, ginkgos in Hiroshima were quick to send out new shoots in the devastating aftermath of the atomic bomb.

Our familiar urban trees can sometimes conceal difficult historical entanglements. Take, the plane trees which are now so synonymous with London. With a little digging, we find this species is likely a result of the age of brutal and exploitative European exploration. These broad trees are thought to be a hybrid of the American and oriental species of plane, which then arrived in Britain - via Spain - in the 17th century. From this nugget of history, my mind wanders to a figure newly arrived in the city, perhaps far from a home to which they can no longer return.

In addition to what I imagine is warm, companionable communication, trees are known to live together in interdependent communities, flexing to share sunlight and pumping nutrients into the ground to the benefit of smaller or older trees. What do they need to make homes together? What do we need? And can looking to our pasts help us better imagine the stories of our present?

I am indebted to this fascinating cultural and historical guide to our urban trees: Helen Babbs, Sylvan Cities: An urban tree guide, (Atlantic Books, 2019).

Read Joannaā€™s winning piece from the Urban Tree Festival writing competition in 2022: ā€œThe Survivor Treeā€.

Find out more and enter the 2023 writing competition on the walk Ā· listen Ā· create website and join a free creative writing online workshop co-facilitated by Joanna on Sunday 4 December 2022 .

Feature image credit: Paul Wood

An interview with a co-producer of the Ruskin Walk Tree film, Ben Moxham. We talk about how John Ruskin inspired the film, how it was to work as a producer and also what made Ben want to initially get involved among other topics.

The Ruskin Tree Walk film is a movie short directed by filmmaker, Lisa Thomson. In this short film, members of the local community around Ruskin Park read insightful extracts from experts about the Victorian Influencer and nature lover, John Ruskin. This short piece is sure to touch the hearts of those who are infatuated with natureā€™s beauty and those who feel it is important to appreciate beautiful walks such as this. I was able to talk to Ben Moxham who worked as a co-producer on this short to find out more about the film and why he was eager to be involved in its creation.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what your interest with trees is?

I sit on the Camberwell Societyā€™s Executive Team (as a volunteer) with responsibility for trees and green spaces. This is a new role that works closely with a sister organisation, the SE5 Forum for Camberwell. One clear priority from the start has been producing local tree walks: a great way to experience the local environment while learning about trees. The Ruskin Tree Walk is the third tree walk in the series.


You're a co-producer for the film, what made you want to get involved?

I was originally inspired by a tree walk my mother introduced me to in her hometown of Shaftesbury in Dorset. The Ruskin Tree Walk came about because several colleagues, including across the friendsā€™ groups linked to green spaces in the area, thought a tree walk would be an appropriate and accessible way to explore John Ruskinā€™s thinking on nature. A key insight as the project developed was to seek experts on Ruskin to write short essays on various topics linked to the trees (and views) we selected within Ruskin Park. It was a great privilege working with such an esteemed group of experts. A second important insight was to involve a range of local presenters and artists from across the community. The idea to make a film version flowed naturally as a result of all the creative energy that was generated.

How was your experience working on the film?

Lisa Thomson, the director, filmmaker and editor, did amazing work on the film from start to finish. I was particularly impressed with the way she worked with the filmā€™s narrator and six local presenters, encouraging them to give authentic and natural performances. It was a pleasure working with her as well as her colleague Miles Williams and also a lot of fun, with the filming taking place on a delightfully sunny Saturday back in March (a time of year chosen because it coincides with the blossoming of Almond trees, one of Ruskin's favourite sights). I even learned how to operate an autocue.

What were the intentions going into making the film?

We hope the film will do several things at once. Encouraging people to visit Ruskin Park and to do the walk for themselves. Finding interest and contemporary relevance in John Ruskinā€™s thinking as well as in some of the history presented. Also being inspired by the trees and views, by the art -- some by Ruskin himself, others special commissions from local artists ā€“ and by the music ā€“ Beethovenā€™s Pastoral Symphony, itself a great tribute to the natural world.

Why Ruskin park?

Ruskin Park is named after John Ruskin. It is located very close to the site of a house where he lived for nearly 30 years. This much-loved South London green space is beautiful, with plenty of the remarkable trees and interesting views that meant so much to Ruskin.


Who was John Ruskin?

I would defer to Dr Rachel Dickinson, Master of the Guild of St George (an important charity dedicated to John Ruskin), who writes the introduction section of the walk and film. She describes Ruskin as being an influencer of his day. He had an amazing range of interests and areas of expertise from art criticism to drawing and painting to geology to social commentary and campaigning. As the short essays that form the basis of the walk make clear, a love of nature was one of the threads that tied these diverse interests together.

The short film is now available to watch on youtube:

At the Festival WRITE ABOUT TREES finale, the winners and runners-up in the Festival writing competition were announced.

Winning the poetry prize was M. L. Grieve for her ā€œMama Has Hair of Silver Green leavesā€, a poem inspired by adoption trauma that has dominated her life. ā€œNot only did I learn the ways of a functional family through my relationship with nature, she also healed my engrained wounds. Willow is my kindred spirit, my kin, my mother and this poem of healing had to be about her.ā€ On the announcement, M.L Grieve wrote "Trees and poetry, my two loves and I get to combine them. Iā€™m overwhelmed and very happy."

Winning the prose prize was Joanna Wolfarth for her story ā€œThe Survivor Treeā€ inspired by a real pear tree to which she become very attached during the pandemic. ā€œIts awkward placement, suggests it predates other developments here. I did some research into pear trees in myths and legends. And the idea of this little, brittle tree potentially spanning different lifespans led to this story.ā€

On learning of her win, Joanna wrote ā€œI'd like to thank the other writers, as well as the festival team and judges. I'm very proud to have my work published alongside such talented authors. And I'm delighted to have the opportunity to work more closely with the Urban Tree Festival in the coming year.ā€ 

Both winners become Writers-in-Residence for the Urban Tree Festival 2023 and receive artwork created by illustrator and publisher Alban Low, whose work appears in CANOPY a beautifully illustrated limited edition 24 page chapbook, that includes the competitionā€™s shortlisted poems and stories.

Runners-up in each category were Sally Duffin for her poem ā€œMedicine Woodsā€ and Rosaleen Lynch with her story ā€œThe Fish Tank Mangrovesā€. Each receive artwork by Alban as their prize.

The 2022 Urban Tree Festival writing competition had a theme of ā€œHealing Treesā€ chosen by Chris Cuninghame and Sarah Wheeler, the 2021 competition winners. Submissions had to be of 250 words or under. The competition attracted more than 100+ entries, a Top 24 were selected and you can read them here, while the shortlisted 12 poems and stories are also published in CANOPY.