Leeds Tree-Athlon 2008

Sunday September 28th 2008, Temple Newsam

Registration for the 2008 Leeds Tree-Athlon is now open!

Get involved in this exciting event to support Trees for Cities projects, which will help alleviate traffic pollution, beautify the urban landscape and give something back to the local communities in the Leeds area. So gather your friends and family, and help us to beat last year's registration numbers!

Trees for Cities in Leeds

Following the launch of our partnership with Leeds City Council and with support from Festival Republic, Trees for Cities kicked off a tree planting programme that focused initially on street trees, with planting taking place at a number of sites across the city. In April 2007, Trees for Cities planted 18 trees at East End Park. The trees replaced a similar number that were lost when a tornado hit Leeds last September, causing devastation to the park and its surrounding streets. Species included a mixture of native oak, cedar and plane. Planting also took place at Temple Newsam, the site of Tree-Athlon 2007 and 2008. Here 80 trees were planted in order to create a natural barrier between the historic estate and a newly-built link road adjacent to the site.

Thanks to the support of last year's runners, Trees for Cities has created two new urban woodlands at Temple Newsam Estate and Brookfield Recreation Ground in Rodley, planted a spectacular avenue of lime and hornbeam trees at Victoria Park in Calverley, enhanced the perimeter of Osmandthorpe Recreation Ground with oak and maple trees, and planted two wild cherry trees on the Seacroft Estate.

All of the trees (9,042 to be precise) have been planted with the help of local volunteers: schoolchildren, community groups and corporate volunteers have all had a hand in making Leeds a greener city in 2008.

How you can help

This year we need your help to plant a striking avenue of limes in Queens Park, screen a busy road with ash trees at Farfield Recreation Ground, and plant oak and maples to liven up Corpus Christi Playing Fields. The aim, as always, will be to involve as many people as possible and bring a true community spirit to our projects.

To achieve this we need your support, so please register now and see how the funds you raise can make our cities greener!

5 km run

We have made a few changes to last year's route to ensure that runners of all abilities can enjoy the race. The run is open to everyone over 14 years old and the 5 km route starts from Temple Newsam House before taking you through the beautiful woodlands and stunning landscapes of the estate. The new route will be available to download soon.

Tree wish

As a runner, you will be given the opportunity to declare your tree wish! It will be printed on your personalised running bib for you to share with the world.

Plant a sapling

After the run you will be given a sapling to take home and plant, helping you to create your own green space and give something back to your local environment.

Prizes and entertainment

There will be lots of prizes up for grabs on the day and the village fête atmosphere including picnicking, entertainers and stalls means it's a great day out for all the family.

So, register now to be part of the 2008 Leeds Tree-Athlon!