South Millfields maintenance
Sunday 30th August 2009

Seven TMs spent the afternoon maintaining South Millfields arboretum. We weeded inside the guards, removed tight tree-ties, re-fixed and straightened loose and damaged guards, crown-raised some trees with damaged or vulnerable lower branches (so that they will now grow to be 'standards') and installed name labels to replace and supplement the original labels - many of which were damaged or absent.

One species, a Chestnut-leaved Oak Quercus castaneifolia may grow to a considerable size; despite having been decapitated some years ago, it has recovered remarkably well, so watch that space! More information about Chestnut-leaved Oak on the Kew Gardens website:-
http://www.kew.org/plants/trees/chestnutoak.html

We have a planting plan of the arboretum and will be producing an online version in due course, to complement those of Millfields Community Orchard.

Thanks to Alana, Christine, Eugene, Mike, Pauline, Russell and Tim.

Prior to the meeting, two of us met with friends of the late Prue Poulton to discuss possible sites on Hackney Marsh for some memorial trees, which will be planted this Winter. Prue died quite suddenly in July; she was a key figure in Hackney's environmental scene and is much missed. You can read obituaries to her at:
http://www.hackneyenvironment.org.uk - there is a link under News & Events.

If you visit the website, you'll probably notice some changes in its appearance. If you have any comments, please feel free to send them to me. Thank you.

A new programme of events will be formulated soon. We shall also be producing our Hackney Trees Calendar again: this is a major commitment in our year, but gives us wide publicity and (we hope) will generate our basic funds for the coming year. Please support it if you can. We shall be circulating details of suppliers when it has been distributed (probably in late October).

Finally, if you're interested in Hackney Marshes, have a look at some skylines taken this August.

Mike
Tree Musketeers
mike@treemusketeers.org.uk

The Tree Musketeers are volunteers who plant, protect and
help preserve trees in the London Borough of Hackney,
and raise awareness of the benefits of trees to the quality of life.

For further information about the Tree Musketeers, please visit our webpages at
http://www.treemusketeers.org.uk

Last Saturday I attended a very small gathering to commemorate one aspect of Hackney's rich tradition of radicalism. Dignitaries including Diane Abbott MP and Hackney Council Speaker Councillor Muttalip Ünlüer were on Stoke Newington Common to unveil a plaque in memory of all those who campaigned to end enslavement in the 19th century. A cedar tree was planted in March and the plaque stands in front of it. A small crowd listened as people spoke about Stoke Newington notables who campaigned against slavery but it took Arthur Torrington of the Equiano Society (Equiano was enslaved but eventually freed himself and wrote a famous account of his experience) to point out it was those who were themselves enslaved who were the true agents of change. Riots and rebellions in the plantations of the Caribbean made the inhuman trade less profitable, creating the opportunity for legislative reform. The informative and worthy commemoration organised by Hackney Museum was sadly poorly advertised and poorly attended. There followed a walk to Abney Park Cemetery to visit the grave of Equiano's daughter, Joanna Vassa.
The reason for recording the event here is to illustrate how still today the 'Great' depend upon, but do not see, those who really make things happen. The commemorative tree, a fine cedar of Lebanon, was planted rather late in the season and though (unlike many others) it has received some aftercare by way of watering from the Council it would have looked rather sorry were it not for Mike Trier of the Tree Musketeers who has tended it regularly. Without the efforts of this senior TM hauling 50kg plus of water to it every week or so the cedar would not have had fresh green shoots (it might even have died!). Fortunately I arrived in time to ensure Mike got a mention.
Even more fortuitous was the fact that I had rung Michael Dixon the park manager an hour earlier to enquire why the gates to Abney were locked on a Saturday afternoon. He sent a ranger to, no not open the gate, but to lock the Church Street gate! Again by luck someone told me the Church Street gate was being locked and I spoke to the ranger. He agreed a more sensible solution to the problem of a damaged lock at Stamford Hill was to open the other gate there but he had his instructions. Only when I pointed to the poster advertising the Abolitionist ceremony did he decide to seek further orders. Had he not done so, or I not asked, or etc, etc, the Great and the Good celebrating Abolition would have marched to an embarrassingly symbolic locked Abney Park Cemetery. So, though they do not know it, Diane Abbott, councillors and park management narrowly avoided a commemoration in front of a dead tree and a walk to a locked gate!
I cannot help feeling I wish I had not intervened. Not because I have anything against the commemoration but because, as so many of us know, many current problems do not change because invisible people who care enough to act prevent disaster and unwittingly permit our 'leaders' to believe everything is OK. Consequently I felt at least I should record the narrowly avoided fiasco.

Aside from the orgy of residential development grabbing land and destroying trees in Hackney there is now a huge rush to build sports facilities over large areas of park land including SINC (Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation) land of ecological significance.

Proposed Developments

Hackney Marshes - large sports building on south of mainb marsh, sports hub on north of main marsh, 3 cricket ptiches on main marhs (destroying Hackney'smost valauble meadow and scrub).

Mabley Green - all weather footballpitches

Spring Hill - sports pavillion

London Fields - MUGA

Hackney Downs - tennis courts, changing rooms and a MUGA (multi use games area) - Approved

If you don't want more of your parks built on and reserved for sports get involved in the campaigns to protect green space and biodiversity in Hackney.