© LivingWandsworth
Battersea Park Tree-Athlon
For the fifth year running, the Tree-Athlon came to Battersea Park on Saturday, 19th September, where hundreds of tree-athletes gathered for an inspirational event.
This unique three-part event comprised a fun 5km run, an opportunity to share your wish for the future of trees and even the chance to plant a sapling.
Did you know that a large beech tree can provide enough oxygen for the daily requirements of ten people?
This was a fun opportunity to give something back to the environment while at the same time improving your health. It was a chance to get together with like-minded people and have a great day out to raise money for tree planting projects in the UK and beyond.
There were individuals running and walking, groups, couples, pregnant ladies, those in fancy dress, with painted faces, also tree-athletes ran with their dogs, buggies, inflatable objects and some even ran the route as a three-legged race!
By taking part in the Tree-Athlon, participants contributed to making London a better place with thousands more trees to enjoy for years to come.
This unique three-part event comprised a fun 5km run, an opportunity to share your wish for the future of trees and even the chance to plant a sapling.
Did you know that a large beech tree can provide enough oxygen for the daily requirements of ten people?
This was a fun opportunity to give something back to the environment while at the same time improving your health. It was a chance to get together with like-minded people and have a great day out to raise money for tree planting projects in the UK and beyond.
There were individuals running and walking, groups, couples, pregnant ladies, those in fancy dress, with painted faces, also tree-athletes ran with their dogs, buggies, inflatable objects and some even ran the route as a three-legged race!
By taking part in the Tree-Athlon, participants contributed to making London a better place with thousands more trees to enjoy for years to come.
The popular 5km run was open to everyone over the age of 14, running through beautiful Battersea Park, discovering the riverside promenade, Peace Pagoda, fountains, war memorial, lots of wildlife and unusual tree species on route.
There were also guest celebrities on hand including Blue Peter gardener and avid horticulturalist Chris Collins, to give out prizes after the race.
The event celebrates the importance of Londoners having their say and telling the world what they would like to see for the future of urban trees. All runners made a Tree Wish when registering. Humorous, emotional, serious, kooky and quirky wishes were printed on a personalised running bib to share with others. For example, 'I want London to be a great tree-lined city' or 'I wish every child could have a tree to climb'.
To celebrate the end of the race and thank you for fundraising efforts, each runner was given a native tree sapling to take home and plant, helping runners to create their own green space and give something back to their local environment.
The Tree-Athlon was a great day out with post-race entertainment and prizes up for grabs for the fastest runners and top fundraisers.
This year money raised from the London Tree-Athlon will help create more outdoor classrooms in schools around the capital so that children can learn about and enjoy their local environments. More street trees will be planted at sites all over the capital for residents to enjoy and will improve London's woodlands for people and wildlife alike.
All projects will be run in conjunction with local communities, allowing them to be involved in the planting process itself and enjoy the beneficial effects that trees, plants and green spaces bring.
This was an uplifting event to help make our cities greener - give something back by getting involved with Trees for Cities. Check them out at www.treesforcities.org. Trees for Cities started life in 1993 as Trees for London when a group of young Londoners recognised the need for more trees in the capital. Their aim is to tackle global warming, create social cohesion and beautify our cities through tree planting, community education and training initiatives in urban areas of greatest need. There are various ways of getting involved with the work of Trees for Cities: by making a regular gift, volunteering at their planting days, events or in the office, or through your business.
Trees have countless benefits to our cities and the wider environment, not to mention that trees are beautiful to look at. Lets help put trees back on our streets.
There were also guest celebrities on hand including Blue Peter gardener and avid horticulturalist Chris Collins, to give out prizes after the race.
The event celebrates the importance of Londoners having their say and telling the world what they would like to see for the future of urban trees. All runners made a Tree Wish when registering. Humorous, emotional, serious, kooky and quirky wishes were printed on a personalised running bib to share with others. For example, 'I want London to be a great tree-lined city' or 'I wish every child could have a tree to climb'.
To celebrate the end of the race and thank you for fundraising efforts, each runner was given a native tree sapling to take home and plant, helping runners to create their own green space and give something back to their local environment.
The Tree-Athlon was a great day out with post-race entertainment and prizes up for grabs for the fastest runners and top fundraisers.
This year money raised from the London Tree-Athlon will help create more outdoor classrooms in schools around the capital so that children can learn about and enjoy their local environments. More street trees will be planted at sites all over the capital for residents to enjoy and will improve London's woodlands for people and wildlife alike.
All projects will be run in conjunction with local communities, allowing them to be involved in the planting process itself and enjoy the beneficial effects that trees, plants and green spaces bring.
This was an uplifting event to help make our cities greener - give something back by getting involved with Trees for Cities. Check them out at www.treesforcities.org. Trees for Cities started life in 1993 as Trees for London when a group of young Londoners recognised the need for more trees in the capital. Their aim is to tackle global warming, create social cohesion and beautify our cities through tree planting, community education and training initiatives in urban areas of greatest need. There are various ways of getting involved with the work of Trees for Cities: by making a regular gift, volunteering at their planting days, events or in the office, or through your business.
Trees have countless benefits to our cities and the wider environment, not to mention that trees are beautiful to look at. Lets help put trees back on our streets.
Check out our pictures from the day
by Kay Lockett
