Campaign Update from James Murray-White

We are beavering away here on the admin for this campaign, and have been calling all the 160 plus who have requested our lovely Quercus Robar Pedunculate saplings to check you still wish to receive and take responsibility to plant and care for them, adjust the numbers up or down, and encourage you to assemble any planting groups, friends, spades and anything else needed.

Due to lockdowns, the Christmas rush, and the need for pre-Solstice rest, we’ve decided to go for getting the trees delivered across the land from mid-January. They will go to 5 or 6 collection/distribution hubs – in Cambridge, Corby, Marlow, Somerset, South Wales, and Hexham, and our distributor-guardians will be in touch in advance to arrange collection for you. Unless you have pre-warned and arranged, we cannot deliver the saplings to you – they must be collected as per arrangement with your collection hub guardian. They may have some spare saplings to add to your order, at their discretion. And they might have advice on tree guards etc, We are producing a planting – ceremony – care guide, which will be on this website in advance of the trees arriving.

My local group, 3000 Trees, part of Ely & Cambridge XR, received the trees recently, and I was part of the distribution team who gave them away last weekend, and then helped to plant 100 out at Barrington, South Cambridge. Here’s a link to some local media on that:

https://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/xr-cambridge-and-ely-3000-trees-1-6950892?fbclid=IwAR1P7jMtzWAWmpZLr-luM1_LP4IVqi-QYTQgOSbPdu0YMqqczRdkqHM8jfg

The saplings are in great shape, many are bigger than we expected: 80-100 cm instead of 45 cm.

Money is trickling in to our just giving appeal: we are currently at £9,710 (21% over our target) and may be able to buy more trees after this first order! We are also starting a media campaign, so look out for that, and ask how you can be involved! Enjoy whatever this seasonal time means for you, in terms of reflection, rest, family, community, gathering or solitude. And get ready for planting!

James Murray-White