Street Trees for Living becomes an independent charity

This weekend Street Trees for Living is submitting its annual planting order to the council. Residents can expect nearly two hundred new street trees to appear on the streets this winter, the result of a fantastic amount of work over the last six months by our Committee members, Area Reps, Street Reps, Sponsors, Lewisham council and other partners. 

 

However, this year, behind the scenes, there have also been momentous developments for us. Street Trees for Living has been a Brockley Society project since 2011, but this year applied to the Charity Commission to become its own charity, and was granted independent charitable status on 4th September 2019. We are extremely pleased that this was achieved with the blessing of Brockley Society, which has supported the project creatively and generously over the years. We will always be grateful for this. Now we are ready for our close links within Brockley Society to morph happily into a new relationship between two independent charities.

Charitable status enables us to take a more strategic look at our aims. For instance, over the coming year we plan to plant one hundred trees outside schools as part of our annual planting list, to streamline the tree request process, and to set up a new website.

Four existing committee members are to be trustees of the new charity. They will be joined by two additional tree enthusiasts who will bring new skills and experience to our decisions and aims. Our charity number and "objects" can be found HERE on the Charity Commission website. Trustees will have a presence on the new website when it goes live. ​

For the moment it will be business as usual, and sponsors and volunteers and well-wishers will not notice much difference to how we operate. Please look out for emails if you’re on our mailing list, or watch this space for further details.

Update from Forest Hill ward

STREET TREES ARE GOOD FOR US

At the Dartmouth Road Street Party a year ago I met Stuart Checkley who was representing Street Trees for Living, a Brockley Society project which has worked with Lewisham Council since 2012 on a public street-tree funding scheme. The scheme had been rolled out on the Tewkesbury Lodge Estate in Forest Hill, and in other parts of the borough, so there was an established precedent for what I then did with Stuart's support.

Knowing that we had lost several trees in our section of Thorpewood Avenue I began to talk to neighbours and gauge interest in the scheme. I knocked on doors over the Easter holiday period and spoke to as many people as I could. From the twenty-four houses I canvassed fifteen replied positively with pledges of between £10 to £275 (the cost of a tree). I was told we might expect to receive Assembly funding to supplement the money raised.

By the end of May we had identified possible locations and residents were approached to give consent to a tree outside their house. We knew we could fund four trees, and Stuart had given me the names of some suitable varieties that were available. We decided to opt for the same tree in all four sites to give cohesion to the scheme. Himalayan Birch (Betula Utilis Jacquemontii) was chosen for its attractive white bark and delicate canopy. In the Autumn council workmen dug holes and planted stakes and one day in November our trees arrived!

To celebrate their arrival we held a small street party on 1^st December with tree dressing, a custom recently revived countrywide, to express our thanks to the trees and build community spirit (see commonground.org.uk/tree-dressing-day). At this event I was pleased to announce that we had raised £1340, enough to fund an extra tree, and this will be put aside for next year. Two other schemes were run concurrently in the immediate area, resulting in the planting of five other trees - another birch, two pear trees (Pyrus Calleryana 'Chanticleer') and two hawthorn trees (Crataegus Laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet').

It is a testament to the enthusiasm of residents that this scheme has succeeded and our area is the richer for it.

Sue Grindlay

Hither Green Lane improvement project

We are pleased to promote the efforts of friends in the borough who are attempting to get more street trees planted in an effort to tame traffic and improve the overall amenity value of their local streets. Stephanie writes from Hither Green: 

30 seconds well spent!

We would like to share the news about another Community-led initiative with you. A small group of Hither Green residents launched a Petition for a safer and greener Hither Green Lane.

The Petition is urging political decision-makers and Council to fund the planting of new trees on Hither Green Lane, in addition to significant streetscape improvements. Currently, there are only very few street trees, if any, on Hither Green Lane.

It is about creating a healthy and inviting environment that people feel safe in and want to spend time in. New trees will be key to this. Securing this change will hopefully be an enabler for supporting potential change in other areas such as improving air quality, increasing attractive shop-fronts and reducing antisocial behaviour.

There is no age restriction on who can sign the Petition. Please, make sure your husbands, wives, partners, daughters and sons sign too! Signatures are only accepted as valid from persons who live, work or study in the Borough of Lewisham.

Please, help spread the word, talk with neighbors and friends and share the Petition on your social media.

Many thanks.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/hither-green-lane-streetscape-improvements

Tree Sponsor of the month - September

Tree Sponsor of the Month took a break in August. Here is our September sponsor. Eleanor Ashfield tells us about her contribution to planting very many street trees in Brockley. 

1. Where is the sponsor tree located and why did you choose that particular site? 

I have sponsored about 20 street trees, starting in 2014, and they are located all over Brockley, from Cranfield Road to Shardeloes all the way over to the other side of Hilly Fields park. Local residents help me by chipping in a little towards each one, and helping with the watering (apart from the 3 which I water, on my street). 

2. What species of tree did you select and why?

I studied which trees actually contribute to pollution. There’s a great article by the Woodland Trust (click here). They found that Silver Birch, Alder, Pine and Laurels were the most effective at combatting air pollution. I’m a keen environmentalist, so most of my trees are Silver Birch or Laurel, with a few others for diversity on occasion. 

3. Why did you choose to sponsor a tree? Does it mark a special event or is it dedicated to someone?

My trees are dedicated to all those who fight air pollution, especially Greenpeace and Livingstreets, who promote walking, not taking the car, especially in cities. We can all act, every day to reduce our use of cars, to buy electric cars, and to walk more. Improving London’s currently very bad air quality will literally save thousands of lives.  

4. How long have you lived in the borough of Lewisham? Do you have any special memories you could share about the area?

I have lived in Brockley since 2007 and it’s the best place to live in London. My heart was bursting with pride when all the libraries stayed open and my local community library in Crofton Park has actually got better, and has a brilliantly stocked bookshop too. My favourite memory has to be lying on the grass under the trees on Hilly Fields eating ice creams during the Brockley Midsummer Fair.

5. Do you have a favourite tree in the area, apart from your sponsor tree of course? 

I love the cherry trees along Cranfield Road – in spring they shower everything in blossom and it’s beautiful. 

6. If there were no constraints what tree would you have chosen and why?

Probably even more trees to fight more air pollution. I wanted a Gingko Biloba tree (a great clean air maker) but the council didn’t have one. 

7. How did you learn about sponsoring a street tree through Street Trees for Living?

I saw a great little newspaper by the Brockley Society, all about how they had attended a conference talking about the role of trees in reducing air pollution. And there was an ad for sponsoring a street tree. I was all fired up and contacted them immediately! They are a lovely bunch and they really care about Brockley (and about London). I am overjoyed that this program has spread to other London areas since. It’s a great scheme. 

8. What would you say to someone who is considering sponsoring a street tree?

Do it! This is a brilliant program. You’ll feel so much more ownership for your local area and pride to be here. I even end up picking up random litter these days, and tidying up bits of Hilly Fields when rubbish is left out. Get involved and share the good feeling that you are part of the solution. 

Tree Sponsor of the month - July

In the second of our new series about our fabulous street tree sponsors, Ben and Sheila tell us about their decision to sponsor a tree in Comerford Road, SE4.

1. Where is the sponsor tree located and why did you choose that particular site? 

The tree is located on Comerford Road, Brockley. I chose this street as it is the street I live on, it's a lovely street but there are a few tarmac / paving spots hungry for foliage.

2. What species of tree did you select and why?

I just opted for the most convenient or suitable for the street - I left it in the hands of Street Trees for Living.  All trees are great so it was a safe gamble; I think it's a crab apple?

3. Why did you choose to sponsor a tree? Does it mark a special event or is it dedicated to someone?

I chose to sponsor the tree as a gift for my landlady. She is an amazing woman and I wanted to offer a token of gratitude, a tree is a great way to say thank you and a fantastic symbol of long-lasting friendship.

4. How long have you lived in the borough of Lewisham? Do you have any special memories you could share about the area?

I've lived here for nearly 4 years. I have untold happy memories here, it's really a great part of London! If I shared them with you I'd never make it to question 5.

5. Do you have a favourite tree in the area, apart from your sponsor tree of course? 

I love that massive tree on the Adelaide Avenue corner of Hilly Fields park, I also love the really tall trees in Brockley cemetery. And there's also that rare surviving Elm in Ladywell Fields. But really they're all great. 

6. If there were no constraints what tree would you have chosen and why?

A Giant Redwood, because they're HUUUUUGE!

7. How did you learn about sponsoring a street tree through Street Trees for Living?

I found out via Google, and got to know some of the people involved, I think it's an amazing way to spend your time and resources and I really appreciate your efforts. 

8. What would you say to someone who is considering sponsoring a street tree?
I'd say: "That's a good idea!"

Sheila’s story:

I moved into the flat in Comerford Road 32 years ago with my husband and baby after a period of homelessness. I fell in love with the road as soon as I saw it. One of the things I loved about my new home was the large silver birch in front of the house. Our flat is on the first floor and during some lengthy periods of ill health I have spent hours just looking at the tree from my settee. About 20 years ago, the tree simply fell down and I was so upset. I gathered some of the branches and a piece of the trunk and kept them in my garden for a while. I asked the council to replace the tree (not believing they would!). Lo and behold - they did and I again spend a lot of time simply watching the tree.

Ben knows how much I love trees and so, a couple of Christmases ago, he arranged for a tree to be placed in the road as my present. I was immensely touched then and still am. I got into decorating the tree last Xmas - the silver birch is too big to decorate, so I thought it would be fun to decorate the crab apple - it would also be a useful place to hang a Xmas card for my neighbours. I was surprised at how much people enjoyed the decorations; frankly, I was surprised that nothing was taken or defaced.That sowed the seed for the idea of using the tree to celebrate other events.

The Valentine's tree was very popular and I followed it up for Easter and Mother's Day. As dramatic world events unraveled, the tree has become a way for me to express messages of peace and solidarity. After Trump's election, I pinned a placard calling for an end to Islamaphobia and anti-Semitism - sadly, that one needs to be replaced quite often. I put up flowers and a message after the Manchester and London tragedies. Several people have told me that they have been comforted by the messages. Today I put one up to say thank you to the emergency services and a little one commemorating the death of Jo Cox.

I'm anxious that it doesn't become a mourning tree - have planned to put up some poems for children and adults. Of course, there will be a line of rainbow bunting for Gay Pride week. It's important for me to avoid party political messages - I have purposefully tried to reflect the culture and beliefs of my neighbours. My own indulgence was to put up prayer flags to celebrate Tibetan new year - and have left them there.

The greening of Vanguard Street SE8

As you will have read in our earlier post (here), twenty one new street trees were planted in Vanguard Street SE8 this spring, and as one of our first mass plantings we thought it was worth a little pomp and celebration, and an opportunity to publicise our new name (Street Trees for Living - STfL) too. 

On Friday 2nd June about thirty local residents gathered with us in the car park on Vanguard Street and shared some food and drink in the sunshine. 

BACK L to R - Sue Morgan: STfl committee member - Rick Farr: Lewisham Council Tree Officer

Sophie McGeevor: Brockley ward councillor - Maya Onyett: Lewisham Council Local Assembly Coordinator - Vicky Foxcroft: Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Lewisham Deptford FRONT L to R - Clare Cowen: Chair, Brockley Society - Xanthe Mosley: Joint Chair, STfL - Dom Eliot: Joint Chair, STfL

Tree sponsor of the month - June

In this, the first of a series of regular blog posts about our amazing tree sponsors, we pose eight questions to Anthony Gaylard about his decision to sponsor a tree in his street:

1. Where is the sponsor tree located and why did you choose that particular site?

Ermine Road. The street has very few street trees and looks bare especially at the Vicars Hill end. So I wanted to start to adjust the green space balance. 

2. What species of tree did you select and why?

June Berry, also known as Snowy Mespilus (Amelanchier lamarckii). There are already two others on Ermine Road and I wanted to keep the look uniform for maximum effect. They are also very beautiful.

3. Why did you choose to sponsor a tree? Does it mark a special event or is it dedicated to someone?

We only recently moved into the area and wanted to mark the occasion for my daughter as well as giving her something to care for.

4. How long have you lived in the borough of Lewisham? Do you have any special memories you could share about the area?

Six months.

5. Do you have a favourite tree in the area, apart from your sponsor tree of course? 

We  recently planted two bonsai Olive trees (Olea europaea) at the front of our property to further enhance the green space on Ermine Road.

6. If there were no constraints what tree would you have chosen and why?

If I could I would plant the whole of Lewisham. Apart from the well-known positive effect trees have in our community, a well-planted street will have the effect of slowing traffic without the need for other traffic calming measures.

7. How did you learn about sponsoring a street tree through Street Trees for Living?

The label on the existing street trees.

8. What would you say to someone who is considering sponsoring a street tree?

I have found it very rewarding and I would highly encourage anyone to do so. It seems to have a lot of positive effects for the physical environment as well as bringing the community together as people seem to care more when green space is increased in an urban environment.

Forest Man of India - Jadav Payeng

A beautiful and inspiring film about Majuli island in north east India, the largest river island in the world, which sits in the flow of the mighty Brahmaputra river. Jadev started planting trees in the 1970s, single-handed, and his forest is now considerably larger than Central Park NY. 

There are serious concerns for the long term viability of the island due to ever-increasing soil erosion, but Jadev's efforts are a viable solution if he can be supported and funded. The forest is now home to a herd of migratory forest elephants, deer, rhino and tigers. 

This award-winning film, made in 2012 is worth 16 minutes of anyone's time:

New growth in Vanguard Street

As some of you know, the Tree Committee of Brockley Society is now committed to getting more street trees planted much further afield than the immediate conservation area. To this end we are delighted to announce the planting this spring of 21 new trees in Vanguard Street (St Johns/Deptford) made possible by a collaboration of private and public funding, namely, the proceeds from our hugely successful (and hugely enjoyable) Stone House Concert in November 2015 (see here), and Brockley Assembly grants and Greater London Assembly monies (ie. those made available via the powers of the London Assembly and Mayor of London). 

The intention with this ambitious project is to create a green corridor from Broadway Fields to Tanners Hill and Addey and Stanhope School parallel to the heavily congested and extremely polluted A2. 

We are delighted that the all important task of watering our new trees has been taken on by Peabody Estates who are already out and about following some of the unseasonably warm days we have had in the last week or so. 

These trees are a flowering cherry called prunus avium 'Plena', a variety of our native Wild Cherry which will produce profuse hanging clusters of double white flowers when in full bloom. They will be a spectacular and welcome sight in this generally rather stark urban street scene. 

Loveliest of trees (2)

Spring has sprung in our streets!

Excited sponsors have begun sending in pictures of their precious charges as they begin to flower and show some green. Here are two ornamental cherry trees (prunus accolade) which were planted only last year - and look how well they are doing! These are only two of the 81 trees planted this winter in Lewisham borough. All are due to fund-raising by residents.

One cherry is in Hawstead Road, Rushey Green, and the other in Tressillian Road, Brockley.

We are aware of over 50 people in and around Hawstead Road who want to see more street trees planted and we are working with them and our friends in the area to make that happen.

Please keep your pictures coming and we will, with great joy, post them here on the blog. And please spread the word as it is hard to think of a better way to spend some pounds!

Labelling the legacy

During the summer readers may have noticed the appearance of new dark green labels on more than one hundred trees planted in and around Brockley since 2012. 

The labels are one of the Tree Committee’s initiatives to publicise the scheme, delivered in partnership with Lewisham Council. In this era of desperately tight budgets, the council has been a willing partner in an initiative to build on the green legacy of a more affluent time. We enjoy over 10,000 trees on Lewisham streets but according to the council's own records, there are around 2,000 unused pits, and countless potential planting sites. All await trees!

For this winter's planting, we have raised money for dozens of individual trees, and we have agreement in principle for several larger schemes. Please watch this space!

In appreciation of sponsorship so far, and to alert readers to the possibility, the Tree Committee wants to remind readers that all planting is the result of local fundraising efforts and generosity. Brockley is incredibly lucky in this regard, and with your help will continue to be so. Private residents, businesses and local assembly members have all given time and energy and funds to enable the planting. Equally important, the scheme has benefitted from regular and practical help. For every tree, Brockley Society works with a local volunteer willing to water the tree for its first two years.

Hither Green Trees project at the 2016 Hither Green Festival

Our fellow tree enthusiast and collaborator Justin Hannemann, whose own street tree regeneration project is now up and running - see: http://www.hithergreentrees.com/drive-awareness - will be hosting a stall at the 2016 Hither Green Festival on the opening day, Saturday May 14th. 

Come along to hear about the drive to replace lost street trees and to show your support for re-greening the streets of Hither Green - and beyond. 

Justin can be contacted via email at justin (dot) hannemann (at) google (dot) com or via his Twitter account @JustinHannemann . Details about the Hither Green festival can be found on their Facebook page or here on the Hither Green Community website: 

http://ourhithergreen.com/hither-green-festival-2016/

The ripple effect

It's been an interesting and exciting month or two. 

Word is getting out about the success of our work in getting more street trees planted in and around Brockley, and we are now in touch with the originators of two new significant projects in neighbouring parts of the borough, namely Catford and Hither Green.

This is really what we were hoping to achieve; a model that can provide the inspiration for other people out there to take up the challenge of getting their local communities galvanised and involved in the care of their local green space, and in particular, that extraordinary asset which is the local treescape. 

The Catford Street Trees initiative 

The man behind the Catford initiative is Harry Carnegie who has created the Catford Street Trees website (click HERE to open in a new window). 

Harry is aiming to raise the funds to plant 50 new street trees in Catford and has already been busy getting tree data supplied by Lewisham council out there in a format that the rest of us can use and understand. The results are really interesting and I encourage you to go over to his site and play around with the map (the map is now available from the tab list at the head of this page - clicking the Lewisham Borough Tree Map tab will take you straight to the map on Harry's website). What's really helpful to the those of us in other parts of the borough is that we can interact with the map to select our own wards, the species of tree, and the age and condition of the trees. The data is from 2012, so not completely current; a more current dataset is expected soon. 

Here is a snapshot of what Harry's Lewisham tree map looks like for Brockley ward: 

Each of the green dots is a tree - clicking on it will allow you find out more about the tree. 

Harry can be contacted via his website (HERE) or at this email address: 

info (at) catfordstreettrees (dot) org (dot) uk

The Hither Green initiative

This is a recent initiative being led by Justin Hannemann, a resident of Hither Green, who writes: 

Over the last couple of years I have noticed that the trees in our street here at College Park Close are not getting replaced, as they grow sick, die, or fall over.  For me, trees are an essential part of the landscape, breaking the hard edges of concrete, giving the birds a place to sing from and of course breathing oxygen into the air. They give children something to look up to and to explore.

Justin will be coordinating the effort in his immediate locality and hopes to be able to raise funds for new plantings this season (2015/16). The order window closes at the end of September as the trees need to be ordered and suitable planting locations finalised. If you are interested in helping Justin with this effort you can contact him here: 

justin (dot) hannemann (at) gmail (dot) com

In addition to the above, we are also working closely with the St John's Amenity Society and residents in Crofton Park. It's a really encouraging development that so many are now feeling able to make something happen in their own locality. 

We look forward to hearing from more of you in the coming months.

The sap is rising - again!

On Sunday 22nd March we held the second of our planned quarterly gatherings at which we present updates about the work of the Tree Committee and the work we are doing to get more street trees planted. 

We were again hosted by Lesley and her team at The Talbot pub in Tyrwhitt Road, SE4 and we had about thirty people join us. Some were very local and others had travelled in from Lewisham, Lee, and Crofton Park. We were very pleased to have Cllr John Coughlin (the Green Party) join us, and John Thompson, Head of Green Scene at Lewisham Council. Both were available for questions at the end of the informal presentations. 

Our administrator Dom Eliot outlined the work the committee has done in getting this last round of 36 trees planted, and the on-going support needed to continue the momentum. Eamonn gave a brief presentation highlighting the uses we are making of this blog, which is now the central point of reference for all matters related to the care of our public space trees in Brockley and the immediate vicinity. We have now clocked up over 18,000 page visits since we started the blog in 2012 and we are read very widely, in fact, globally, according to the stats available to us!

Also announced on Sunday is a scheme to encourage local residents to consider sponsoring a tree in commemoration - to celebrate a a birth, or a marriage, or to mark the death of a loved one for example. The Tree Committee is still formulating this initiative, and we will be posting details on the blog in the next weeks.

Offers of help were made to get all of our street trees labelled and photographed, and a possible Twitter account manager also came forward! We also had a number of concrete offers of sponsorship there and then, for which we are most grateful. 

All in all, these gatherings are proving a valuable vehicle for galvanising support and getting the message out about our work. We are now in touch with nearly 200 people who have expressed an interest in protecting and increasing our tree stock, and we are talking to a number of representatives of other local community groups interested in our work. 

Please drop us a line or get in touch via the "Getting involved" or "Contacts" tabs above. If you'd just like to be on our mailing list, go to "Mailing List sign-up" tab. 

We'd love to hear from you!

Delicious fare, again provided by Kara

all of us on The Tree Committee
The Brockley Society

Mission accomplished!

A special day for the Brockley Society Tree Committee and our latest group of sponsors and donors. This Silver Birch was planted on Crescent Way, Brockley today and is the last of 36 street trees to be planted by The Brockley Society in this planting season. 

The picture shows Dionyssis Dimitrakopoulos, the volunteer warden of the tree who will water and keep an eye on it as part of the planting scheme we are running in association with Lewisham Council/Green Scene.

We are looking forward to gathering more interest from local residents and businesses over the course of this year and planning for the 2015/16 planting season has already begun. 

The Tree Committee
The Brockley Society

2015 spring - record new street tree plantings

With the dwindling funds available for Lewisham Council to replace and plant new street trees, local residents have been coming on board in ever greater numbers to purchase/part-fund new trees for their streets. 

This year, along with a host of individuals, households and neighbourly collectives, we have also been greatly helped by an extremely generous individual donor who has come forward. We were also successful in making an application to the Brockley Ward Assembly for funds. 

All told, we are just completing the planting of THIRTY SIX new street trees in and around the conservation area. This is an amazing achievement, and we are hopeful that we can continue this level of planting in the coming year. What is also evident is that the model is spreading out to other parts of the borough, including St Johns, Ladywell and Crofton Park. 

In the current planting season, 17 out of the 36 plantings which we have facilitated are actually outside the conservation area, specifically in the following streets - Arabin Road, Brockley Cross, Ermine Road, Malpas Road, Millmark Grove, Shardeloes Road, and Strickland Street. In the previous two planting seasons, the figure is 11 trees outside the conservation area, out of 16 total planted. So as you can see, we are doing our best to cast our net as widely as possible (details of where these new trees have been planted will be uploaded to the map on the "New Plantings" tab on our blog in due course). 

One of three Juneberry trees (Snowy Mespilus) planted in 
Breakspears Road on February 6th, with members of the Glendale 
planting team that work with Lewisham Council, and Nicola 
Ferguson of Brockley Society Tree Committee

Realistically, with the ongoing losses of existing street tree stock (due to old age and disease), this is the only way we will maintain the leafy character of our streets and ensure that the local street environment is maintained and, hopefully, enhanced. 

With thanks to Lewisham Council's Green Scene team and Glendale, their contractors, for their work in getting these trees in the ground over the last few weeks.

Postscript: an earlier version of this post suggested that these three trees planted in Breakspears Road were sweet almonds. Sadly, this was not the case as we discovered when we checked the actual planting schedule, but the Juneberry, or Amelanchiers Lamarckii, is also a beautiful early flowering small tree - it has bright red berries that the birds feast on in late May, early June. 

Calling all tree lovers!

Proudly announcing the second of our Street Tree Enthusiasts gatherings following the lively and productive inauguration of these events last November. Lots of news to talk about, and the announcement of our commemorative tree initiative. 

Come and join us!

Tree Committee event

Sunday March 22nd  11.30am – 12.30pm

at

The Talbot

2 Tyrwhitt Road, Brockley, SE4 1QG - just in from Lewisham Way

 tea/coffee and cakes provided

 Following the success of our first event in November 2014, the Tree Committee is once again hoping to meet anyone who wants to see new street trees in Brockley.  At the same time we are launching our commemorative tree scheme.

BrocSoc Tree Committee in conjunction with the Tree Council and Lewisham Council's Tree Warden scheme