Trees Are The Key Awareness Week 2022 - The Word Forest Organisation

Trees Are The Key

Awareness Week

21-27 March 2022

2022 Theme: So What Do Trees Really Do For Us?

We believe that trees are the key to solving so many of the world’s problems, not just climate chaos. They are crucial ingredients for a healthy environment and every living, breathing inhabitant of our planet.

Trees are the ultimate gift (from Mother Nature) that keep on giving. They clean the air that we all breathe, manufacture precious oxygen, allow biodiversity to flourish, and give habitat for wildlife. They also help to maintain high levels of organic matter for the soil, and via their roots systems help to improve the soil’s ability to absorb and retain water.

As if that’s not enough, the crops from different types of trees worldwide provide a range of commodities: fruits, nuts and other foodstuffs, medicine, building materials and more.
Bookmark this page, and join us on our social channels as we find out just what trees really do for us. Starting on the International Day of the Forests, Monday 21st March, we will be sharing a wealth of articles, engaging interviews with climate scientists, and a free Friday evening screening of our documentary #TreesAreTheKey, narrated by Kate Winslet on 25th March. There will also be free online courses from our Educational Learning Platform, and a series of free lessons and activities aimed at KS2 Primary School pupils (ages 7-11). Plus a series of nature based poems and other events.

Forest

Reforestation To Help Save The Mountain Bongo

20th May 2022 8:09 am

For the last nine months, Word Forest has been working closely with the Murang’a Youth Bunge County Forum CBO (MYBCF) in Kenya to find ways to help their Tulinde Bongo Project taking place in the Kmakia, Gatare and Wanjerere ranges of the Aberdares Forest, approximately 3 hours north of Nairobi. This amazing project covers a range of activities, with one goal, to help protect and save the Mountain Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus ssp. isaaci), a forest antelope and a subspecies of the Bongo Antelope. From the 1970s, these coppery brown animals with white stripes and spiral horns have been in danger

Urban trees by Ogutier on Pixabay

The Importance Of Urban Trees

26th March 2022

Trees in urban spaces are the forgotten heroes when discussing climate change and, often, the awe-inspiring rainforests of the tropics and sub-tropics take the limelight.

Clare Nasir interviews Melinda Messenger

Clare Nasir interviews Melinda Messenger

25th March 2022

As part of Trees Are The Key Awareness Week, our Patron, Clare Nasir interviews Melinda Messenger and talks about psychotherapy and Melinda’s love of trees.

Gingko trees by morn_japan on Pixabay

The Medicinal Properties Of Trees

25th March 2022

Herbs, trees and spices have been used by healers since ancient times. Human settlements have often been surrounded by plants used for medicinal purposes. In

Tree root and waterfall by Zach Reiner on Unsplash

Eco-Resilience

24th March 2022

Eco-Resilience is our second FREE course at ‘Learn With Word Forest’. Enrol to learn about Eco-anxiety and the health effects of climate change, in addition

Bark and moss by Pexels on Pixabay

Take A Moment With A Tree

24th March 2022

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that supports what we already know on a primal level – that being out in nature is

Colyton Grammar School

Martha Pearce interviews Charlotte Appleton Pilbeam

23rd March 2022

As part of Trees Are The Key Awareness Week, Martha Pearce and Charlotte Appleton-Pilbeam, both pupils of Colyton Grammar School, discuss the environmental movement and

Trees are a bounty of beauty and splendour with limbs reaching afar, offering vitality for us all. Without trees, we are extinct on our amazing planet, & nature is key, trees are living wonders who deserve utmost love and respect. Trees for wellbeing, for humans and planet alike.

Rachael Gartell

I wouldn't have got through 2020 without having downtime with the trees in my garden. I breathed out all my hurt and drew in all their strength. The trees and the abundant nature around them, are an absolute blessing to us all.

Philomena LeePlanet Protector

There's a joke: ‘You’re a true New Yorker if you think Central Park is nature.’
Well, I do. It nurtures me, its trees and their delicious juxtaposition with the city. I am hopelessly urban. Trees are the bridge between my indoor preference and the natural world.

Victoria MoranMain Street Vegan

The forests were here before us and they will endure long after we are gone. Ancient woodlands hold the secret of serenity; we would do well to try to understand the pace of life for trees. Amidst all of our hurry and bustle, it is good to spend time amongst trees and just... breathe.

Simon WestChair of Trustees

I listened to the water crackling and popping as it flowed up through the trunk of a beautiful old tree with Alex Metcalf, the Tree Listener. I cannot think about them as anything other than magnificent living, breathing entities that are a blessing to be around.

Tracey WestCEO

Walking in the woods is an absolute wonder. Whatever the season, the calming influence of the trees always gives me that feel-good feeling.

Sue Jueno

#TreesAreTheKey to life for you and me. Joy for all to see. Food for all to eat. A table or a seat. A book for you to read. A fire to give you heat. A home for birds that fly. To help us reach the sky. Hugging a tree every day will keep your tears at bay.

Helen RobertsTrustee

We have a tree in our local woods we call the Heart Tree. It is a veteran coppiced beech that is hundreds of years old. It is a statuesque, powerful constant in our lives. We have been visiting it on our daily walks for over 30 years. Our children, now grown up, visit with us when they come home. They have introduced their friends and partners to this cherished family elder. Like a touchstone, this tree teaches us wisdom and brings solace, calm, beauty and constancy to our lives. What an extraordinary friend!

Maddy HarlandPermaculture Magazine

So you want 50 words of what trees mean to me? That is so hard because to me they are a feeling. A spirit. They embody tranquillity and life. We cannot live without them but they can live without us.

Michael Birchmore

Walks in the woods have been a great source of relaxation for me during the pandemic. Taking some time away from work and screens to listen to the birds and appreciate the nature around us is so great for our mental health, particularly now spring is coming and the sun is out!

Rachel Baxter

You know that feeling, when you’re with really good friends and there’s no pressure, no artifice, no need to speak or do – that’s how I feel amongst trees. Calmness, stillness, as if I can really breathe.

Izzy RobertsonTrustee

There's something almost primitive that happens when I am around trees and woodlands. My mind clears and my heart rate feels like it lowers, breathing becomes deeper, maybe it is the lack of pollution or could it be ancient memories of times beneath the canopy? Either way, every minute spent around woods and forests makes me feel more attuned to nature and revitalises me to take on the challenges ahead.

Tim EgginsGreen Party

Trees bring me to my senses and through them I land, I come to earth. Their solidity, their rootedness, roots me to a present tense connected whole. Their unique character expressed in shape, colour and the tone of the breeze through their branches soothes me and centres me.

Tom BurgessPoet

Trees are life. Trees are hope. Trees help us breathe more easily. As a child, they were my playground. They meant adventure. Trees are also our shelter. On windy days they remind us of the sound of the sea. The best soundtrack of all is the birdsong from the natural stage that is the tree.

Karen CannardAuthor

Trees are a source of inspiration for life - they are strong, grounded, resilient, effortless and beautiful. They generously provide oxygen for us to breathe, shade from the sun, shelter from the rain and are home to an incredible wealth of wildlife and so much more.

Alison Johnson

We're extremely excited about this week! We love being outdoors, most days you'll find us walking through our local woods, rain or shine! It’s beautiful to see the varied colours, enjoy the calming sounds and absorbing the fresh air, plus you never know what wildlife you might see! The mental and physical health benefits are hugely rewarding too: after nice long walks exploring new trails we're always filled with positive energy. This year, we're keen to challenge our community to get out walking and supporting your wonderful work.

Brendon BaleThe Green Gazelles

My grandparents had an old apple orchard and as a child, I spent many happy hours in a hammock strung from a tree that grew diagonally, pretending to sail a boat. The wind in the leaves sounded like waves as I climbed amongst the branches, scouting for ‘land’.

Ceri Richards

I love trees and believe that spending time in nature is essential for our wellbeing. There's nothing more relaxing than taking an amble through some beautiful woodland, enjoying the fresh air and peace and quiet.

Laura Wand

It's easy to forget in the hubbub of daily life how important it is to connect with nature – even on our own doorstep. The trees in my garden give so much, benefiting the ozone, providing me with apricots and apples, the bees love the blossom and many different bird species visit. It's beautiful to see and always lifts my spirits.

Bethany Martin

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Media and Press

Trees Are The Key Awareness Week is an initiative from UK Registered Charity, The Word Forest Organisation, run each March to encompass The International Day of the Forests. Based in Devon we plant trees, support women’s empowerment, build schools and facilitate education in rural Kenya. We raise environmental awareness and plant trees in the UK too.

See our positive impact in action in the documentary #TreesAreTheKey narrated by Kate Winslet.

Download the Press Release

For further information get in touch with the team.

Press release, high res images and interviews available upon request.

Contact: [email protected]

Call: 01297 533111