16 Acers visit the Culture Capital

All too easily our great British countryside is overlooked until it is glimpsed during a fleeting summertime when Brits take a brief sojourn to the seaside, or a quick frolic at a festival. But this year’s ben different. This summer some trees have been on tour!

About ten days ago 16 trees descend upon the serene space of the courtyard at Liverpool’s Bluecoat – part of Delivering a Green 08, the green side of Liverpool 08, European Capital of Culture.

This Greenspot ‘installation’ is interactive and lit by sustainable power. Quotes from ‘tree-loving’ writers and celebrities adorn the tree’s travelling boxes while benches provide for a much-needed time-out amongst the trees.

Established in 2007 as a transferable, non site-specific installation, Greenspot actually pre-empted Environment Minister Hilary Benn’s July rallying cry to the UK, when he said: “We must bring the countryside to the city”. Indeed if we look after our urban spaces - in sustainable ways – then the countryside will no longer boast an unshakeable monopoly on ‘quality of life’. And that is what Greenspot aims to highlight.

The objective of the temporary installation is to engage with the general public by the quirk of bringing a customised slice of the countryside into the city. The trees are species is ‘Acer’, known commonly as Maple. Acer is a genus of trees and shrubs, from the Latin word meaning ‘sharp’ - referring to the characteristic points on the leaves.

Greenspot has been made possible by a unique partnership involving the Forestry Commission, NWDA (Newlands), Mersey Forest, Regional Parks Xchange, Groundwork Merseyside, and the Environment Agency.

Keith Jones, of the Forestry Commission said on behalf of the partnership: “Greenspot gives people a chance to experience all the benefits of urban greening. Temporary installations like this highlight the benefits of permanent planting in the city vital to reducing the urban heat effect, reducing climate change, and creating spaces where urban dwellers reap the benefits of feeling closer to nature.”

Some of the famous quotes on the tree boxes:

“Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees” - David Letterman

“ Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man manages his affairs as well as a tree does” - George Bernard Shaw

“To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment” - Jane Austen

“I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do” - Willa Cather

“Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong” - Winston Churchill

“Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come” - Chinese proverb

More information: www.nwda.co.uk