London Ealing Council – Trees for Cities Partnership

Ecology

Food from the wild: free fruit for all from trees planted on public land

In 2016 Ealing Council in London started a strategic partnership project with Trees for Cities. The three-year project includes: mapping to identify tree planting sites, considering air quality hotspots and flood risk areas; London’s first eco survey to discover the monetary value of the tree ecosystem; community consultation about citizen’s attitude to trees; six community tree planting and greening projects, such as food-producing urban woodlands, community orchards and tree trails. One year in, a new community orchard of 30 different fruit tree varieties has been planted. It will provide a free food resource for residents, as well as a habitat for beetles, birds and other animals. Also, new edible woodland has been created: more than 800 volunteers planted over 20,000 trees, including many fruit trees. Gathering wild foods is a forgotten skill in the UK. Ealing’s project rebuilds a healthy environment, enhances biodiversity and offers residents of all ages the chance to connect to nature, enjoy free food sources and benefit from being outdoors.