Tree planting and talk of re-wilding is now so commonplace it is hard to remember when it was not. But, in 2012, the last time anyone had planted trees in Newsham Park was in 1992 and the tree-lined paths in Kemp’s plan were looking very much like the gap-toothed smile of someone in their vintage. A lack of under planting in the woodland areas going back years meant that, when the mature trees started falling, we would be left with very little. So, from 2013 to 2018, Tree House Liverpool set about changing that by working with the Urban Tree Council, The Woodland Trust, Grow Wild and the Mersey Forest to secure trees and other resources. We facilitated a total of 27 tree and bulb planting days in that time, both in the park and on grass verges along West Derby Road. We were joined by 100s of participants who, together, planted tens of thousands of spring-flowering bulbs, 3,450 whips, and 79 standard trees. 

 

Everyone got involved, including local schools, kids, parents, and grandparents. Most came from the local area but some from much further afield.  Some came full of energy and optimism and some, including a man who had just been told he had weeks to live and a recently widowed mother with her young son, came in sorrow and sadness with a yearning to feel connected. Most of the standard trees were dedicated in some way to lost loves and, for two families, they were a chance to say goodbye in a way that had not been possible at the time of death. These strong connections between people and the landscape mean that the new forest, as it grows, will contain many personal stories for individuals and, therefore, a clear sense of connection and shared ownership. There is evidence of the value of this approach in the dramatic reduction in damage to new tress in our local park and streets since the involvement of local people in these projects.