Happy Man Tree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Happy Man Tree |
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Protest materials on and around the tree with building work ongoing in the background
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 Happy Man Tree
Location in London Borough of Hackney
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| Species | Plane tree (Platanus × acerifolia) |
| Coordinates | 51°34′19.5″N 00°05′24.6″W / 51.572083°N 0.090167°W |
| Height | 22m |
| Date seeded | Circa 1870 |
| Date felled | 5 January 2021 |
| Website | https://www.thehappymantree.org/ |
The Happy Man Tree was a large plane tree located in the Woodberry Down area of Hackney, London. In 2020, it was named Tree of The Year by the Woodland Trust, a charity that protects trees.
This tree became famous because of a disagreement between a company called Berkeley Homes and people living nearby. The company wanted to cut down the tree to build new homes. Many local people wanted to save it. A petition with 22,000 signatures was given to the Mayor of Hackney in June 2020. However, a court order was later given to stop protesters from blocking the work. Sadly, the tree was cut down in January 2021.
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The Happy Man Tree's Story
The Happy Man Tree stood near Seven Sisters Road in Hackney. It was an old tree, appearing on maps from as far back as 1870. It got its name because it was close to a pub called the Happy Man, which is no longer there.
In 2019, experts looked at the tree and said it was very healthy. They thought it could live for at least another 40 years. They called it a "particularly good example" of its type. Besides winning Tree of the Year, The Guardian newspaper also featured it as their "tree of the week" in July 2020. The tree was about 150 years old when it was cut down in 2021. This happened as part of a big building project called the Woodberry Down Estate regeneration.
The Fight to Save the Tree
The company Berkeley Homes wanted to remove the Happy Man Tree as part of their building plans. This led to a big disagreement with people who cared about the environment.
On May 19, 2020, local residents started camping near the tree. They saw signs that work to cut it down might begin, like fences being put up. The Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, apologized for the worry this caused. He said the tree was not being cut down that day and that he was looking into the situation.
A group of local people formed the "Friends of the Happy Man Tree." They started a petition to save the tree. They also began a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for legal help.
As part of their efforts, the community put up artworks around the tree. They hung a banner with the message "#NoticeThisTree." They also decorated the tree with lights and a disco ball. A professional flautist even played music in the tree.
On June 24, protesters delivered their petition with 22,000 signatures to the Mayor. They also brought an axe made from papier-mâché, asking if he was "prepared to strike the first blow." The Council said the tree would cause problems for the design of new homes. They also claimed it would reduce the number of affordable homes. A spokesperson for Berkeley Homes said cutting the tree would allow them to build 584 new homes. This included 243 affordable homes for people living in poor conditions.
Berkeley Homes and Hackney Council asked a court to stop the peaceful protesters. The protesters were blocking the tree's removal. Supporters of the tree were very upset when the court granted this order on June 26, 2020. The court order became active in December 2020. This meant the tree could be cut down very soon.
Mayor Philip Glanville said they could not find a way to save the tree without delaying the building project. Instead, he promised that 175 new trees would be planted. A new public park would also be created. This park would be as big as 19 tennis courts. Berkeley Homes also stated they would increase the variety of plants and animals in the area by over 150 percent.
Winning Tree of the Year
During the spring 2020 Covid-19 lockdown in England, parents and children nominated the Happy Man Tree for the Woodland Trust's annual Tree of the Year contest. They believed it was important to save a tree that helped clean the air for the community.
After a group of judges chose the finalists, the public voted for their favorite. The Happy Man Tree won overwhelmingly as England's winner. It beat nine other trees, including the Grantham oak. The Grantham oak also had its own issues with housing plans. In 2020, twice as many trees were nominated by the public compared to previous years. Darren Moorcroft, who leads the Woodland Trust, thought this was because lockdowns made people notice nature more.
As part of the award, the Friends of the Happy Man Tree group received £1,000. This money came from the People's Postcode Lottery. The group said they might use the funds to teach people about how valuable old trees are in their local area.
When announcing the winner, Adam Cormack from the Woodland Trust praised Berkeley's work. He said they were doing "great work" by providing "important social housing." However, he also said that the tree could have been saved if plans were changed earlier. He called cutting it down a "poor decision." He hopes the tree's story will teach us something important. He believes England's planning system should protect existing trees. He also thinks that local people's opinions must be heard when decisions about trees are made.
Images for kids
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Christmas mural at the site of the tree
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High court injunction documents tied to tree
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Message from protesters
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Exhibition honouring the 51 trees cut down for the Berkeley development
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Message from protesters
