Five more trees planted for #Newnham150 at Wendens Ambo

Three birches for sisterhood, a rarely seen elm, and a colourful Japanese weeping cherry were planted in the Essex country-side to mark 50 years since alumna was at Newnham.

 

 

Alumnae Jo Burch, Katie Petty-Saphon, staff-member Bev Gafney and Liz Hartley, Girton alumna –  gathered to mark the tree planting.

Katie Petty-Saphon (NC 1969) was joined by members of the Newnham community living nearby, and Girton alumna Liz Hartley as she planted five trees as part of the Global Tree Planting project in a field at her home in Wenden Ambos, near Saffron Walden, Essex recently.

Given to Katie as a 70th birthday present Prunus serrulata ‘Kiku-Shidare-Zakura’, though a cherry, will have double pink blossom with at least 100 petals, resembling a chrysanthemum. ‘Kiku’ in Japanese means chrysanthemum.

‘Representing the solidarity that is Newnham, and the fight against adversity’, the Ulmus laevis is a hardy elm rarely seen in the UK, and highly resistant to Dutch Elm disease.

Three birches for sisterhood – Betula pendula ‘Tristus’ growing to 20m, Betula nigra ‘Culley’ growing to 15m, and Betula ermanii ‘Mount Zao’ growing to 7m – not only for Newnham sisterhood but also for the 150 years of  sisterhood between Newnham and Girton.

Members of the public will be able to enjoy the trees as a footpath runs through the field.

See a glimpse of the planting, and hear from Katie and former Roll President, Jo Burch, in the video below. If this has inspired you and you’d like to find out how to get involved and plant your own trees as part of the project, you can read more here.