COP30 in Belém gave tree and forest-lovers literally nothing to celebrate – apart from some vague promises for more voluntary commitments at some point in the future. Absolutely meaningless.
But here in our very own backyard, we can celebrate the fact that it’s National Tree Week — a 50-year-old initiative of the Tree Council and partners!
My own way of marking National Tree Week is to urge you to find out about Moor Trees https://moortrees.org/, fall in love with them, and then celebrate in your own way by supporting it’s all-important new crowdfunder, ‘Plant The Future’: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/plantthefuturewithmoortrees
Full disclosure: I’m a Patron of Moor Trees, so may not be entirely unbiased! But I just love the story of hundreds of volunteers turning out, week after week, often in dreich Dartmoor weather, to collect seeds and acorns, nurture them devotedly in their community nurseries, and then plant them out on Dartmoor – contributing to the overall rewilding of this beautiful but much abused National Park.
By the end of this planting season, 200,000 trees will have been planted.
Final point: the Moor Trees crowdfunder qualifies for match funding from Aviva’s Community Fund – so every £ you can contribute will double the benefit for Moor Trees! https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/plantthefuturewithmoortrees
(By the way), National Tree Week runs all the way through to the end of the weekend, so you might still find an event/activity which will let you get properly hands-on!). https://treecouncil.org.uk/seasonal-campaigns/national-tree-week/
Jonathon Porritt
27 November 2025
