Youngsters from Hitherfield Primary School turned out to Brockwell Park to help the council plant three new trees – the first of 92 set to be planted in parks over the coming months.
The pupils pitched up near the Brixton Water Lane entrance to the park where they got their hands dirty digging the three tree pits for the new additions.
They were able to help Lambeth Council’s Tree Team prepare the pits before lowering each sapling into place. Once in the ground, they helped to refill the pits and cover them with bark and make sure they were firmly in the ground.
Brockwell Park now boasts two new Acer Cappadocium Aureum and one Acer Cappadocium after the children’s efforts.
Planting season began in Lambeth in late October with the first tree of the season planted outside Minet Library in memory of poet and activist Benjamin Zephaniah.
The council is on track to increase the number of new trees in Lambeth by 5,000 by 2026 and has adopted Lambeth Urban Forest Strategy 2023-2030 that outlines its commitments to increasing canopy cover, promoting biodiversity and climate resilience.
Deputy leader Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, cabinet member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said: “It was wonderful to come down to Brockwell Park with the children and see how excited they were to be in the outdoors, to dig around in the dirt and help plant a tree that will hopefully stand for many years to come.
“They showed passion and enthusiasm for helping our Tree Team and despite their young ages, some of them were extremely knowledgeable about the ages of varieties of trees we have in Lambeth.
“The council is also enthusiastic about increasing the amount of tree cover we have because it has so many benefits, from helping with our climate response and reducing flood risk to improving peoples’ health and wellbeing.
“By April 2025 we will have planted more than 1,700 new trees, not just in parks and on estates but in our neighbourhoods too.”
