Inner-city Edible Playground wins plaudit

Dec. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- Trees for Cities has won this year's London Tree and Woodland Award for the 'Most effective project connecting schools with London's trees and woodlands' for its Edible Playground project at Rotherfield School in north London.

This unique project transformed a bleak tarmac area of playground into an inviting fruit and vegetable garden and woodland garden, which now teach children about where food comes from. Many pupils at the school do not have gardens of their own; for them the Edible Playground provides a safe environment to plant, grow, nurture and taste a range of fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs.

Trees for Cities' Chief Executive Sharon Johnson said: "We are thrilled to receive this award for our flagship Edible Playground project. With fruit and nut trees being eradicated from schools and public spaces, there has been an increasing sterilisation of the urban environment.

"Trees for Cities aims to help reverse the trend by reintroducing food-producing trees to the cityscape and we're thrilled this work has been recognised by the London Tree and Woodland Awards.

"Vegetable gardens and outdoor classrooms like these engage children with nature and show them how rewarding it is to spend time outdoors, and they ably demonstrate where food comes from."

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Read more on the Edible Playground project at Rotherfield below:

http://www.treesforcities.org/page.php?id=405
http://www.jamieoliver.com/gardening/article.php?id=85
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/n...

For further information, please contact Stephen Gray, stephen.gray@treesforcities.org, 0207 587 1320

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An independent charity which plants trees and landscapes public spaces in urban areas, to impact on global warming and beautify the urban landscape, encouraging greater social cohesion through the active participation of local people.