The Commission are delighted to announce that we have recently received £5,000 for this project from the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace.
We have mentioned the project in previous news articles. We obtained some seeds and some one year old ginkgo tree saplings that originate from a tree that was in the blast zone of the Hiroshima bombing. The saplings are all currently in the care of the Laudato Si centre in the Salford Diocese.
There they are receiving the professional horticultural care that they need until they are mature enough to plant out (which is usually about 3 years)
We started the project some 18 months ago now. So, as some of what we received were already saplings, a few of them may be ready for planting out in 2026.
For a few months now we have been seeking funding so that we can move forward with this project in the right way. Theses trees provide an opportunity to discuss the ethical issues around using nuclear weapons. However, they also provide a sign of Hope for our environment: that even in the terrible aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing it was possible for plants to recover from such an environmental devastation.
The grant that we have received serves a twofold purpose. Firstly, it enables us to pay someone to seek out church, school and other settings that may be interested in taking and planting one of the saplings. Once planted, the saplings should not require much additional maintenance. As importantly, it also provides funding to work with a partner to develop interpretation materials. We have agreed with Pax Christi England & Wales for their Education Officer, Aisling Griffin, to work with the Commission to produce suitable materials.
We do not yet know where the saplings will go but we want materials that can be used for an interpretation board in the vicinity of the tree and materials that are suitable for use in a primary school setting and a secondary school setting. If the funding goes far enough, then we will also develop some resources for parish use.
If you are interested in taking a sapling in your parish please email us and we will get in touch to give more details and explore the possibility.