Renowned artists Ackroyd & Harvey joined Peabody tree surgeons and schoolchildren from nearby Jubilee Primary School to welcome six of the seven oak trees planned for Crossway Park.
The artwork will be completed when the seventh oak is planted as part of the London Borough of Bexley’s Night Visions cultural festival on 29 January.
The oak circle was grown from acorns by artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey. They collected the acorns from some of the 7,000 oak trees planted by artist and environmental activist Joseph Beuys in Germany in 1982.
The Thamesmead oaks are planted in a circle to make Crossway Park a gathering place for discussions about climate change and other important issues.
Charity Trees for Cities is planting a further 705 small trees to fill out Crossway Park’s wooded areas.
Pupils from Jubilee Primary School celebrated the trees’ arrival by making leaf prints with Heather and Dan.
The artists also took part in another community planting day at the rejuvenated Manorway Green in North Thamesmead. They led a leaf printing workshop for volunteers planting trees with Trees for Cities.
With funding from the Environment Agency, a diverse range of new trees were planted to replace dead and diseased sycamore trees that had recently been cut down.
Three Erman's birches, two small-leaved limes, two ornamental pears, a Japanese zelkova and a tulip tree were planted. Another six trees are being planted in open spaces around Manorway Green.
What volunteers said
“I just came to offer service. I’m coming to contribute to my quarter – this is my environment.” – Gift Aigbokhai
"We lost my mum nearly two years ago. The kids really like the idea of having a tree for her. We live near here so it means we can come and see it quite often." – Terri Mann
“I like digging. Trees are living things.” – Great-Elijah
"Today is my birthday and I wanted to give life to new trees on my birthday. It’s my first time planting trees so it’s really nice. I really enjoyed everything." – Ashwani Danwar
Why are trees being planted?
Planting in winter means trees can focus on putting down roots before using their energy to grow in spring. This helps the tree become strong and healthy.
The tree planting is part of a new Thamesmead Urban Forest Strategy being developed by Peabody and land-use consultants LUC. This involves making sure existing trees are protected and new trees planted to create cooler streets, cleaner air and healthier neighbourhoods.
“Our Urban Forest Strategy is a really important part of our work to create a sustainable, climate-resilient town,” said Desiree Shepherd, Peabody’s Public Realm and Landscape Manager. “We’re working with residents to ensure Thamesmead remains a green and beautiful place for future generations.”
The strategy is still being written and residents can share their ideas and priorities. Visit treesforcities.org/thamesmead to get involved.