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Coventry City of Culture: Artists parade trees felled for HS2

Coventry City of Culture Female artists carrying the trunks through CoventryCoventry City of Culture
The women carried the felled tree limbs through Coventry

Two trees felled to make way for the HS2 rail project have been hauled through a city centre to raise awareness of climate change.

The 7m (23ft) silver birch limbs were carried by a group of female artists as part of a performance for Coventry City of Culture.

Artist Ruth Ben-Tovim said it represented "an act of endurance and love for the planet".

HS2 has said it takes its environmental responsibilities seriously.

Coventry City of Culture The performance as it stopped off in Coventry CathedralCoventry City of Culture
The performers stopped off at a number of locations, including Coventry Cathedral

Organisers said the piece, titled Walking Forest, was to highlight "the devastating impact of human behaviour on the planet and its ecosystem, through the destruction of natural habitats".

Ancient Warwickshire woodland has been a flashpoint for debates around felling trees to make way for the new high speed rail line.

Protesters made a camp at Crackley Woods, near Kenilworth, to protect under-threat forests, and there was an outcry after a "dearly-loved" 250-year-old pear tree was felled in 2020.

Cubbington pear
Trees felled for HS2 in Warwickshire have become a focal point for protesters

The artists said they were inspired by "hidden networks of the forest", and imagined Coventry in this way through the performance by stopping at locations around the city to tell stories.

After Coventry, they will make their way with the tree to the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow.

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