Seeding hope in our tree nurseries
Working with Children and communities to grow local trees for local Children’s Forests.
We collect tree seeds from healthy local trees with children and their communities when they ripen in autumn time. As our ancestors would have done, we enjoy the edible fruits and nuts and save the seeds for sowing.
Together we help create the conditions for them to germinate and plant them in our tree nurseries to be grown into saplings. Over the course of a year, or sometimes two, the trees are tended by the children and their communities until they are big enough to be planted into local Children’s Forests. When we come together to harvest seed or tend the trees, we honour the gifts they give us with songs and stories. We play games together, share gratitude and sit around the fire, building a community of people all caring for the future forest trees.
Forest From Seed vision
- Supporting communities to plant and tend tree nurseries to empower children and their communities to engage in a positive solution towards climate change and eco-restoration
- Offering inclusive community skill building courses in conservation, seed collection, harvesting, processing and tending
- Hosting community gatherings, sharing storytelling, traditional crafts, creative arts, foraging and feasting
- Encouraging people to engage in the reciprocal relationship with nature, supporting communities to interact responsibility with the world around us
- Providing nature connection opportunities for children and the community.
- Planting forests for the future generations
- Supporting children’s mental health & wellbeing through positive vision and purposeful action
“Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism.” –
~Sir David Attenborough
Community tending days
Monthly community tending days and fortnightly family tending days are held to support and maintain our tree nursery site for the benefit of the whole community. Tending tasks include looking after the veg beds, forest garden and tree nursery as well as the wider site and structures. At the family sessions we come together to tend the young saplings, plant tree seeds, sing to the trees, play games and share stories around the fire.
Join our Forest From Seed weekend training course
October 4-5th 2025, 10-4pm in Forest Row
During this two day training we will be looking at the Children’s Forest ‘Forests from Seed’ project. We will gather wild tree foods and medicines of the season, exploring how to harvest with respect and care, preparing the seeds for planting as part of the reciprocal cycle of life.
We will be located at our small tree nursery and will teach how to set up your own tree nursery and grow healthy, locally sourced trees with children, families and communities to grow trees for Children’s Forests and other tree planting initiatives. We will explore all the tending processes needed over a year to grow trees from seed to sapling, looking into details such as growing methods and mediums, and pests and problems as well as exploring ways in which we can support communities to come together to grow, honour and celebrate trees of all ages with songs, stories and more.
You will take home with you some seed prepared for winter, so your own tree nursery will have begun!
“I am forever grateful to the Children’s Forest team for their energy and passion, the joy they spread is contagious and they have blessed the hearts of three generations of our family.
What started as a few acorns, sweet chestnuts and conkers in pots, gathered and planted in the forest a couple of years ago by my daughter, has grown into a tree nursery full of seeds, whole beds of baby trees, which have then been planted out in forests. ”
~ Katie
