Money doesn’t grow on Trees!
The Gardens needs your help to protect and care for our trees!
Trees are vital for life and the environment, and essential in our fight against global climate change and increasing biodiversity by providing clean air, shelter, and a natural habitat for wildlife. They provide daily life with astonishing beauty, changing colour and structure as the seasons pass and can live for hundreds and even thousands of years.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens is home to over 500 magnificent indigenous and non-native trees and are proud to be part of the International Conifer Conservation Programme. Our trees create a unique, biodiverse ‘urban lung’ and green canopy right in the heart of Birmingham – capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and producing oxygen. They create a micro-ecosystem to provide maximum benefits to local fauna. These natural wonders can reduce indoor and outdoor pollution by as much as 50%. Our unique green space, situated in a dense urban environment is a critical contributor to the city and regional net zero carbon targets for 2030 and 2041 respectively.
As great protectors, trees are fundamental to the survival of all life on earth; but we need your help to protect and care for our trees, ensuring this unique lifeforce continues to grow in our landscape now, and for future generations. Help us support nature’s recovery and the reconnection of people with green spaces.
With the drought of recent summers, our trees have been subject to extreme stress and their health is likely to deteriorate further over the next 5 years. Our oldest tree, the Copper Beech, predates the Gardens at over 200 years old but is now in suffering disease caused by compaction. We must raise funds to provide the nutrients, care, and maintenance for this striking tree to ensure its survival.
The Handkerchief Tree (Davidia involucrata) is of commemorative value to the gardens after Ernest Henry Wilson, a student at the gardens, introduced it to cultivation in the west after his second expedition on behalf of the Veitch nursery. This beautiful specimen has survived nearly 120 years but is now in decline due to the stress from paving and other trees growing into its canopy.
Our Tree Plan seeks to fundamentally transform BBG’s tree care, health, and maintenance programme, but requires us to raise £13,850 to help protect, save and maintain happy, healthier trees at the Gardens throughout the seasons. With your help, we can provide strength for climate resilient trees:
£1,000 would enable us to purchase an iPad for GPS tagging to monitor our trees health more proactively.- £1,100 would enable us to provide LANTRA Level 2 training for two staff members, to equip our team with key tree inspection skills.
- £2,250 would enable us to mulch and fence off our Copper Beech.
- £4,500 would enable us to purchase a chainsaw and woodchipper and suitable personal protective equipment to develop our in-house tree maintenance.
- £5,000 would enable us to plant more trees!
As a registered charity, Birmingham Botanical Gardens receives no regular public funding. Instead, the charity relies on income we can generate from visitors, members, grants we can secure and generous donations from people who share our vision to educate and make the Gardens accessible for everyone now and for future generations. Your donation, however much, will make a real difference.
Please support us by donating via our website, writing a cheque or donating in person with our staff.
Thank you.
Reg Charity 528981.