Voices of the Future was a three-year, multi-site project based in the UK. We aimed to develop an understanding of how children and young people relate to trees. Different strands of Voices of the Future explored child / tree relationships in different ways. The workpackage led by Sheffield Hallam focused on families with children aged under five years. As a starting point, we asked what can happen between children and trees? We worked with community partners to run 18 months-worth of tree related activities, where families and children could playfully be in the vicinity of trees, including scavenger hunts, teddy bears picnics, art activities and woodland walks. Through writing observational fieldnotes and collecting visual data, we sought to learn from the children about trees.
You can read more about the project and what we learnt on the project website.
Funder
One of six large projects funded by the UK Treescapes programme that came out of COP 26, funded by NERC with AHRC and ESRC as a cross disciplinary project.
Partners
Project Leads: PI – Kate Pahl, Lead Co-Is – Caitlin Nunn, Peter Kraftl, Simon Carr .
Co-Is - Khawla Badwan, David Cooper, Liz Curtis, Abi Hackett, Chris Hanley, Emily Lines, Clare Rishbeth, Jenny Rowntree, Ed Schofield, Johan Siebers, Jo Vergunst.
Partners
Project Leads:
PI – Kate Pahl, Lead Co-Is – Caitlin Nunn, Peter Kraftl, Simon Carr .
Co-Is - Khawla Badwan, David Cooper, Liz Curtis, Abi Hackett, Chris Hanley, Emily Lines, Clare Rishbeth, Jenny Rowntree, Ed Schofield, Johan Siebers, Jo Vergunst.
Academic Partners:
Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Aberdeen, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge, University of Cumbria, Middlesex University, University of Plymouth, University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University
Non-academic partners:
City of Trees, Natural England, Chartered College of Teaching, Seymour Park Community Primary School, The Mersey Forest, Early Childhood Outdoors, Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Manchester City Council, Stakeholders: DEFRA, Town and Country Planning Association – Green Infrastructure Partnership, Trees for Cities. Schools: Blackrod Primary School, Bolton; Stretford Grammar School, Manchester; Lindow Primary School, Cheshire; School of the Resurrection, Manchester; Seymour Park Primary School, Old Trafford, Manchester; Woodside Primary School, Aberdeen; Foreland Primary School, Aberdeen; Alford Academy, Aberdeen; Cowley International School, St Helens; Oldbury Wells Secondary School, Bridgnorth Shropshire; Urmston Grammar School, Manchester; Whalley Range High School, Manchester; Bolton FE College, Bolton.
