We recently partnered with The Tree of Hope Youth Research Group, a team of global youth living in Manchester, to plant ‘trees of hope’ to create a lasting legacy for their project.
The Tree of Hope project is part of the Voices of the Future – Treescapes research project, led by Manchester Metropolitan University, with City of Trees as a project partner. The group of global youth living in Manchester share a commitment to caring for treescapes, sharing knowledge and skills with other young people, and advocating for a more inclusive environment sector. Four youth leaders have been working with academics and artists, and others from the global youth living in the area, to share knowledge, skills, and experience of treescapes across different national contexts and migratory journeys.
The four trees – Whitebeam, Bird Cherry, Field Maple and a Red Maple – were planted at Longford Park in Trafford by three of the young people who belong to the group. Also in attendance was Cllr Steve Adshead from Trafford Council and was supported by contractors, Beechfield Industries.
The four new trees at Longford Park were planted as a symbol of hope and welcome for other migrants and global youth and is inspired by the Odaa Tree, an important site of gathering, dialogue, and connection among Oromo people (an ethnic group from Ethiopia to which several team members belong).
The trees were funded as part of the Northern Forest’s Grow Back Green programme. City of Trees is the community forest for the Greater Manchester region and part of the larger Northern Forest that stretches from Liverpool to the Yorkshire coast.
Carly Harper, from City of Trees said:
“We’re delighted to be involved with the Tree of Hope project. The trees that have been planted at Longford Park are a meaningful reminder of the hope that nature can give us and will now stand in the park as a legacy to be enjoyed for many years to come. It’s been brilliant having the young people hands-on with the project and we wish them the best for the future.”
Caitlin Nunn, coordinator at MMU added:
“It has been a privilege to work with the Tree of Hope Youth Research Group and to learn from their knowledge and experience of treescapes in the UK, and in different parts of the world. As a legacy of our project, we offer these ‘trees of hope’ as an invitation for people to come together in nature to learn and share for a more hopeful future.”
Cllr Steve Adshead, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change, added:
“I was delighted to have been invited to the planting ceremony as part of the Tree of Hope project. Trafford Council is totally committed to addressing our climate crisis and it is always a joy to see more trees being planted.”
Voices of the Future has been working in partnership with City of Trees to plant and care for treescapes with children and young people across Greater Manchester, and to co-create knowledge and understandings about the relationship between people and trees.