guest blog – MORE TREES, PLEASE! By Filwood Tree Champion, Jim Smith

Great work, Jim!

Early in 2020, I was offered 100 oak trees for £20 via the Bristol Tree Forum of which I’m a member. I applied for and obtained a £100 Grant from Knowle West Alliance to purchase these trees (50 cm ‘whips’), badge making materials, marking pens, labels and ties to run an ‘adopt a tree’ project with children in Knowle West.

With support from KWA, I approached the local schools to get children involved and was also given permission to plant in some of the schools’ grounds. The materials would be used to mark each school child’s individual tree, as well as create an ‘Eco Champion’ badge, personalised by each child – I borrowed the Brislexic badge making machine which Claudia Collins had bought with a KWA Small Grant the previous year.