| 'Birmingham Trees for Life'
is a new project devoted to promoting awareness and
understanding throughout the City of the value and importance
of trees, to raise money to enable more trees to be
planted and to encourage the involvement of everyone,
especially young people in tree planting.
Birmingham, now more that ever before, needs its trees.
Despite being an intensely urban area, the City is proud
of the way its many trees make it green and leafy. The
trees in our streets, in our parks and in our gardens
contribute so much to our health, our economy, our wildlife
and our everyday quality of life. But they need to be
valued and protected if they are going to survive in
a modern, bustling urban city and we need to plant more
of them to increase the benefits they bring and replace
those that die. |
Tree planting at Perry Park
Children planting trees
at Perry Park |
|
Click the logo to visit www.btfl.org.uk
The benefits that trees bring to Birmingham are enormous - can you
imagine living in the City without them?
Our trees keep us healthier; they filter polluted air alongside
our busy roads, they provide shade and a calming setting for recreation
and relaxation. They absorb carbon dioxide, one of the world's major
greenhouse gases so they are very important in the fight to reduce
the rate of global climate change. They provide habitats for birds
and other wildlife in the city, close to homes and schools. Trees
soften the harshness of urban landscape and many people prefer to
live in the leafy residential areas of the city.
The Birmingham Civic Society and the City Council formed a new
partnership in July 2006 committed to spreading the message that
trees do matter. 'Birmingham Trees for Life' will campaign to ensure
that more of them are planted and those we have are looked after.
Everyone can appreciate the beauty of a tree and at a time when
many of us are becoming more concerned about our health, our neighbourhoods
and climate change, concentrating on increasing the number of trees
in the City can really make a difference.
'Birmingham Trees for Life' is managed within the Birmingham Civic
Society by the Tree Committee. Many years ago, the Society helped
the City to create and develop new parks. The Tree Committee draws
together members of the Society, councillors and officers of the
City Council, local environmental experts and representatives of
the community. It is also looking for someone from the city's business
community to become involved.
Our objectives are:
- To promote awareness and understanding throughout the city of
the value and importance of trees for health, the environment,
regeneration and the appearance of the city and to continue to
promote the positive image of Birmingham as a green city
- To raise money to enable more trees to be planted in the city
- To encourage the involvement of everyone, especially young people
in tree planting to stimulate their care for the environment
- To co-ordinate and promote existing tree planting in the City
including that by the City Council and the Third Sector
- To increase the number of trees in the city by regular planting
on suitable sites
- To take steps to protect existing trees in public places in
the City
The good news is that the City Council is giving the project a
kick start by allocating some funding - the City Council has recently
become more aware of the importance of trees as a result of the
Scrutiny Report into threats to our street trees and they are keen
to support the planting of more trees. The creation of this new
partnership means that funds can be raised in a variety of ways
to fund all sorts of different tree planting schemes in a way that
the Council cannot do by itself.
We are already developing links with Birmingham businesses who
are keen to enable their staff to contribute to planting new young
trees in the city's urban spaces, parks and school playgrounds.
Community Service Volunteers (CSV) are signing up as partners, sharing
their expertise in involving school children in environmental education.
Hilliers Nursery, one of the largest growers of trees in the country,
are supporting us with advice and supplying high quality young trees.
The Birmingham Open Space Forum are providing a link to the many
Friends of the city's parks and open spaces.
Planting is already planned for this autumn; we will be celebrating
national Apple Day at the end of October by involving school children
in planting a community orchard next to their local park. In National
Tree Week at the end of November, we will be planting trees in five
of the city's parks at locations spread across the City.
By Autumn 2007 many more people will be involved and planting can
take place in a wider variety of locations - river walkways, school
playing fields, streets, housing estates and even in possibly in
people's front gardens.
If you want to be involved in planting trees, donating money (maybe
to celebrate a birthday), having a corporate fund raising event,
designing an orchard or celebrating that magnificent old tree in
your local park, then watch out for further details on our website.
If you would like more information on Birmingham
Trees for Life please e-mail us at
info@birminghamtreesforlife.org.uk
|
