Sheffield’s annual Urban Tree Festival returned last week between Saturday 23 November and Sunday 1 December. It celebrated Sheffield’s trees and their importance to the city’s 500,000 residents.
The festival took place across Sheffield, which included events at Parkwood Springs, the park at High Hazels and Hillsborough Park.
We contacted Sheffield Tree Action Group (STAG) to find out more about the festival and why it was important.
They said: “For many people, they see street trees most often, but familiarity breeds a sort of invisibility, so that we can walk past them daily and barely notice their presence.
“The Urban Tree Festival was a chance to stop and really look at what an amazing thing it is to have so many street trees bringing nature into our city”.
When asked about what events took place during the week, they said: “Celebrations, walks, talks and storytelling were held across the UK,
“Bringing all our communities together to educate, inspire and share their enjoyment of trees”.
The types of events and locations in Sheffield varied. There were events from hedgerow planting to guided walks. One of the events was a guided tour of rare trees in the Botanical Gardens.
The festival was funded by the South Yorkshire Partnership and Heritage Lottery. When asked more about the strategy partnership, STAG said:
“The partnership has worked to bring community street tree planting to the city via ‘Trees for Streets’. Parks and Countryside are active in planting new trees.”
The website explains that the festival was made possible this year due to several partners, volunteer organisations and support from the South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership and the Heritage Fund. This allowed for their ‘most extensive lineup’ so far.
There is a Nature Recovery Strategy which is due to go to consultation in 2025. This is a regional strategy which aims to provide a plan for restoring South Yorkshire’s natural environment for all generations.
STAG explained how all those involved want to do more, but this is becoming increasingly difficult due to budget pressures.
Image Credit – Sheffield Street Tree Partnership
