In 1998 my colleague, Peter Toaig, and myself launched the project called “onetree”. It involved felling a mature oak (a quintessentially British species) and distributing all parts to a range of selected artists and craftspeople whose work would then come together as a major exhibition. Our aims were:
    1. To raise public awareness of the value of trees as a resource.
    2. To promote the arts and crafts in Britain.
    3. To show timber as a beautiful and versatile material.
    4. To raise funds for a tree planting project.
These aims were met with spectacular success and great acclaim. Seventy-five participants produced a fantastic range of items; over 100,000 people visited the exhibition; over 5,000 copies of the accompanying book were sold; scores of articles were written; the project was featured on television and radio; and a surplus of £24,500 was given to the Mersey Forest. They exist to establish woodland, and promote its benefits, in NW England. They used our money as a start-up fund to raise more capital to buy agricultural land adjoining an area of ancient woodland near the village of Dutton in Cheshire. Woodland Heritage manage the site and have planted trees on the land as a buffer zone to protect the ancient strip. This new wood, along with all its benefits to the environment and community, is our legacy.

The legacy doesn’t stop there as onetree has inspired numerous follow-up projects; all with similar aims to the original. To date we have been acknowledged by replicas in Canada, the United States, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Holland and Australia. In this country schemes have taken place in Edinburgh, Sheffield, Salisbury and Dorset. The “Kauri Project” in Australia is particularly exciting for me as I have been invited to take part by making something for their exhibition. It is being organised by the Botanical Gardens in Sydney to recognise the demise of a giant Pacific Kauri that has been killed by roosting flying foxes (fruit bats) in the gardens. As an Australian by birth I feel that I will be “completing the circle”. The exhibition will take place at the Sydney Botanical Gardens in June and July, 2010.

Garry Olson, September, 2009
ONETREE