In this 40th anniversary year of The Tree Council, we are urging everyone during the month of
May to get out into the woods or walk around trees in their neighbourhoods and just look at
what a difference they make to the landscape. Imagine if the Victorians hadn’t put plane trees
in London’s streets; if boat builders at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar hadn’t planted oak
trees to provide their successors with materials for a new fleet, or more recently, the planners
hadn’t made space for flowering cherry trees to line residential roads. Close your eyes and
imagine that. See the difference?
With the bouts of sunshine that have been escaping from behind the clouds recently has come
the steady spread of green as leaves start to burst. Trees and woods will be in different stages
of revival as spring creeps across the landscape but everywhere, there will be surprises and
treats to be seen. Wood anemones with their delicate white petals on the woodland floor;
bluebells at every stage from dark greeny-blue knots to bright blue carpets; even unexpected
plantings at the base of street trees or shaded grass in the parks. Trees complete the scene.
“We have such a diverse treescape in the UK but we don’t always appreciate how fortunate we
are” said Pauline Buchanan Black, Director-General of The Tree Council. “There are trees of all
shapes and sizes and leaves of every colour and form. There will be tree identification walks
and activities to suit everyone, being organised by people all over the country in both urban
and rural woodlands;” she added, “from places that are easily accessible by those who will find
rugged terrain difficult and tours of interesting street or park trees, right the way through to
more challenging trails, there will be every opportunity to see the difference that trees make.”
