Sheffield’s first street tree festival will be held on 29 September

Anyone who has followed Sheffield's struggle against its council's determination to fell many of the city's street trees will be pleased to hear of this event.

Billed as "a multifaceted, joyful and thought-provoking celebration of the city’s beautiful street trees,." the first Sheffield Street Tree Festival will be held in Nether Edge, Sheffield, on Saturday 29 September.

The Festival website says:

Morning activities, including walks, birdwatching and painting, will take place on the streets. In the afternoon, we move to the magical Merlin Theatre in Meadow Bank Road for a fascinating programme of expert discussions, book readings, music, poetry, yoga and more! 

The festival will conclude with the presentation of the first schools’ copies of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, purchased through a crowdfunding campaign fronted by Vernon Oak, a 150-year-old oak  threatened with felling under Sheffield City Council’s Streets Ahead programme (full details of the crowdfunder here). 

This session will also include the performance and launch of ‘Heartwood’, a new spell-song by Robert Macfarlane written especially for Sheffield – a charm against harm for all trees everywhere threatened with unjust felling.

Read the full programme here.