Daniel’s Memorial Tree Planting

On Sunday 18th of January, we planted a tree for Daniel.

The staff team and Directors met, along with Daniel's family, in the chilly morning mist and dew on Cwm Arian's land in Tegryn, and shared a moment of reflection about the impact Daniel had on our lives and our work, and on the loss of him in August last year from suicide. We planted a wych elm - a species of tree that Daniel had enthusiastically supported the proliferation of when a Cwm Arian project collected seed from a vigorous specimen in the local area to spread healthy seedlings around Wales, in a bid to bring the species back to the nation's landscape.

So a fitting choice of tree for a man whose persistent pursuit of community togetherness and environmental protection will live on in our memory and in the legacy he left locally. We wished it well with our words and tears as we left mementoes of leaves and seed heads and stones from the land around its trunk, and all took a part in adding soil to cover its roots. It was a hopeful act, despite the sadness that Daniel wasn't there with us. This elm could grow to be one of the biggest trees in the landscape, and an icon of the great amount of service Daniel gave to his community. We've set a bench near the tree, and the land is publicly accessible so anyone can come here to sit, to think, to take heart from the beautiful valley as it rolls down to Glogue and beyond. Whether you knew Daniel or not, do come along and enjoy the hope a tree can bring.

Holly Cross - Organisational Coordinator