Wouldn’t it be nice if you could combine a leisurely stroll in the woods with your weekly shop? Well, that may be a little ambitious – but you’ll certainly be able to grab some ingredients at this planned park in east London.

Hackney Council and local community groups are teaming up with environmental charity Trees for Cities to plant a 6,500-tree woodland at Hackney Marches on Saturday February 1, along with a group of local volunteers.

The mixture of fruit and nut trees, as well as broadleaf specimens and shrubs, will provide a perfect spot for foraging, as well as capturing carbon dioxide and encouraging biodiversity.

Rory Field, corporate partnerships director for Trees for Cities said, ‘By planting trees, we celebrate something we all love and cherish. Something that brings communities together and actively works to promote healthy living and eating, as well as addressing pollution and the stresses of city lifestyles.’

So, although it’ll take a couple of years for the saplings to settle in, a place where you can pick berries on your weekend ramble is in the not too distant future.

Let’s get ready to crumble!

Care about your city’s ecosystem? Check out the artificial trees sucking up London’s pollution.

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