First tree planted in memory of Benjamin Zephaniah

The first of 65 large trees will be planted in Birmingham in memory of writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah.

Zephaniah, who was born in the city and lived near Spalding, Lincolnshire, died last December aged 65, weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

His family are planting trees in Burbury Park, Newtown, as part of The Zephaniah Forest, in honour of the activist who "loved trees and nature and wrote poems about how important they were".

The author's wife, Qian Zephaniah, would come to a private ceremony with friends to plant the first few trees on Saturday, community interest company Birmingham TreePeople said.

The author's youngest brother, David Springer, had contacted the organisation on behalf of the Benjamin Zephaniah Family Legacy group in the hope of carrying on his legacy.

Mr Springer and other family members will plant trees in early December, with a private family ceremony held to plant the final tree on the first anniversary of Zephaniah's death on 7 December.

Each tree will be tagged and documented, alongside a "Tree Trail" created to follow the newly planted trees.

Birmingham TreePeople has also called for local poets to submit nature-themed poems for a competition that will see 65 poems, each coupled with a tree, before a gathering to adorn the mini-forest takes place in January.

It will run until 1 December and judges will decide by the new year.

Asked why the park was chosen, Charley McDermott, from the volunteer organisation, said it was "predominantly Newtown and Nechells really where he grew up" and it wanted "to be accurate and sensitive to the family and their wishes".

She added one of its trustees found locations in the park that could house the 65 memorial trees that "he thought would be a lovely idea to memorialise every single day of his [Zephaniah's] life".

Ms McDermott stated: "When we pitched the idea to David [Springer], he actually told us that Farm Street, which runs adjacent to Burbury Park, was where they lived.

"So it was like fate I suppose."

She said Birmingham TreePeople was "very, very proud to be a part of this, humbled".

Ms McDermott added: "We're all kind of individual fans of Benjamin. If you're a Brummie, I think you kind of have to be.

"So, yeah, it's just a wonderful thing to be able to work with the family on this memorial forest."

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