As part of the Tree Festival 2024 in Brighton & Hove, 10 supporters of Fund4Trees participated in a charity cycle ride to raise funds and awareness for sustainable treescapes.
Our Managing Director, Mike Connick, is a proud trustee of Fund4Trees, helping them to:
- Promote the conservation and improvement of the natural environment.
- Educate the public, especially young people, about the protection and improvement of trees particularly in and around urban areas.
- Advance research in all aspects of trees.
Young tree maintenance (YTM) workshops
The first couple of stops on their 20 mile tour around the Brighton area took them to two schools, where they engaged with the pupils, sharing the vital benefits of trees and tips on how to care for them.
Mike said, “It was heart warming to see the curiosity and enthusiasm of the young minds!”
Elm Experts
Next stop was in Preston Park and a fascinating talk from Peter Bourne and Alastair Peters, two renowned Elm Experts.
Brighton & Hove is home to approximately 17,000 Elm trees and in 1998 Plant Heritage was awarded full National Collection status for their elms.
Mike said, “It was good to get an update on the health of these trees as in recent years there has been a rise in the number infected by Elm disease”.
And it was wonderful to finally see the 400-year Elm tree trunk, which acclaimed sculptor Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva had de-barked and charred then used gold to convert it into a magnificent sculpture, back at Preston Park to reside once again alongside it’s twin.
This moment was especially meaningful, as in 2020, Connick Tree Care had the privilege of transporting this historic Elm to a Secret Garden in Kemptown, where Elpida meticulously worked on its transformation.
Food Matters
The final stop on the charity cycle was a visit to Racehill Community Orchard, to find out about the local and sustainable food they create from the plants and trees they grow.
The orchard is situated on three acres overlooking Whitehawk and down to the sea. It boasts native species of plants – including spear thistle, sycamore, wild parsnip, field scabious, wild basil and wild marjoram – as well as local wildlife.
If you’d like to find out more about Fund4Trees and the research, grants or funding, please get in touch with Russell Ball russell@fund4trees.org.uk or phone 0788 44 26671.