Tree-mendous Tree Charter Day

November 24th 2018 marked Tree Charter Day and Students For Trees marked their first Tree Week with a range of activities across the country from involvement of Students' Unions and societies to their very own photography and poetry competition.

Credit: Imogen Smith, Keele University winner of the photography competition     |        Credit: Megan Hopkins, Queens University Belfast winner of the poetry competition
 
The winner of the photography competition was Imogen Smith from Keele University and the winner of the poetry competition (judged by Harriet Fraser) was Megan Hopkin from Queens University Belfast. The prize winners received a sustainable hamper each. 

Lancaster University Students' Union joined up with Students for Trees and hosted a full week of events, including a tree planting event at Hardknott Forest and a woodland walk around the outskirts of the campus, followed by a leaf printing workshop. Additionally, campaign boards were placed in the library under the University�s tree (Norman) and people could go and write on them with the stimuli 'What do you think of when you hear the word trees?', 'Best Tree Memory' and 'Tree Charter Pledges'. This launched on the Tuesday of Tree Week, where 60 people signed the Charter. 

Keele University students also held several events across Tree Week including a woodland walk, a talk with the caretaker of Keele Woodlands and an online Quiz competition. Through this, Keele achieved 10 signatures. Portsmouth University students also held a woodland walk attracting 30 people, who all received leaf-shaped cookies and a video of the walk was recorded. They also managed to get 30 signatures on the charter. Arts Bournemouth University Students' Union also ran a leaf printing workshop to get people engaged in Tree Charter Day and to show how trees inspire us each and every day. 

Bangor University students had a stall engaging with students and managed to get 70 people to sign the Tree Charter. They planted 200 trees in their botanical gardens with most of the trees going towards the hedgerow planting. They also took advantage of the leaf shaped cookie cutter they received and gave out 150 cookies. 

Goldsmith University collected 40 signatures from the exhibition they hosted, which focused on ecology. The exhibition, Climax Climate: the Future of Ecology opened during Tree Charter Week in 2018 at 310 New Cross Road, London. Curated by Nikos Akritidis & sponsored by Students for Trees, the exhibition brought together the work of Nikita Brouwn, Margaret Jennings, Leticia Laxon, Nic Locke, Sam Schmitt and Gabriela Sibilska on the theme of ecology: "Climax Climate is an inversion of the scientific term 'Climatic Climax Community' which describes a biological community of plants, animals, and fungi that has reached a steady state through evolution. The works in the show allude to the disruption that human society brings to this balance. It is a call for action, to re-evaluate the understandings of nature, the environment and ecology that have structured our society." - Nikos Akritidis

Credit: Nikos Akritidius   |     Credit: Nadhia Grewal

Finally, Students for Trees would like to thank everybody who got involved in the events over Tree Week and Tree Charter Day. Keep an eye out on our social media for more ways to engage with Students for Trees over the coming months, beyond Tree Charter Day and Tree Week.

For more pictures and inspiration for future events visit out social media pages!

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Written by Holly Mills, Campaign Officer at Students for Trees who is currently studying Geography and the University of Lancaster.