Come and join us dress the beautiful oak in the Main Street play park on Saturday 3rd December at 10 am.
Tree dressing week always starts on the first weekend in December in the UK – happily coinciding with Padbury’s Christmas festival. It was originally created by Common Ground in 1990 but has a deep and rich cultural and historical heritage. It is a chance for the whole community to gather and celebrate the leafy friends we all have in common. It’s also a chance for communities to reflect on the social and cultural history of their local area, and the role trees have played in shaping this story.
Tree dressing is very much a global practice and provides the opportunity to connect with and respect trees whilst recognise their importance to the planet. Trees are vital to our existence providing, food, materials, improving air quality, protecting against flood risk and soil erosion, providing shade and just by being around trees can reduce stress and enhance our sense of wellbeing. Tree dressing is a simple way of saying thank you.
It seems very fitting then that at the end of a year when Greener Padbury Group [GPG] have been working on a biodiversity project in Padbury’s Millennium woods, developing forest school, providing families and residents with activities and nature connection experiences, commissioning a report on managing the woods for biodiversity that we should end the year with a celebration of trees and join other community groups around the country.
Tree dressing is broader than celebrating trees it is about bringing together communities. We have created craft boxes for preschool, forest school, the local primary school, eco club, and GPG, who altogether will contribute tree dressing. All the decorations will be made from sustainably resourced natural materials and fabrics or reusing ribbons and discarded wool. And, of course, they will be removed and kept for next year or recycled.
The tree dressing will take place on Saturday 3rd December which will provide a great start to the village festival. In addition, GPG are putting together a tree trail to link the events between the school, the Church and the village hall.
The tree trail will provide top tips for enjoying a sustainable Christmas, a challenge to find the secret word and the chance to earn a reward for all those who complete it!