Ten-foot-high tree sculpture erected in Winnie-the-Pooh forest

The sculpture is made from wood cut down in Ashdown Forest and has more than 1,400 fabric leaves made by schoolchildren from across the UK.

It was set up for the unveiling and book reading for the sequel of A.A Milne’s famous stories by author Jane Riordan who wrote Winnie-the-Pooh: Tales from the Forest.

Jane said: “With its forest setting, inspired by the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, it’s no great surprise that trees are central to the Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

“Characters seem to be forever walking under them, climbing them or falling out of them. And so, at a time when so many trees are being lost to deforestation, it feels more important than ever that we celebrate our trees and the incredible wild places like the Ashdown Forest where we can all go and enjoy them.”

Schoolchildren were read parts of the book and shown the sculpture (Image: Wetherall Photography)

The project will introduce children around the UK to the importance of protecting the ecology and inhabitants of this “very special environment”.

The “Tree of Trees’” is made from recycled wood from species found in Ashdown Forest, including sweet chestnut, beech, silver birch and oak. 

The branches feature fabric leaves decorated by more than 1,400 children from 25 schools nationwide, from Bolton to Brighton. 

The aim is for schools to explore the ecology of the forest, understand how to protect the environment and discover how writers have inspired people to treasure these environments. 

It is a collaboration between Ashdown Forest, the landscape that inspired Hundred Acre Wood; Farshore, the original publishers of Winnie-the-Pooh; and Ootiboo, who create projects to inspire creativity in schools. 

The ‘tree of trees’ is at Ashdown Forest visitor centre (Image: Wetherall Photography)

Ash Walmsley, countryside manager at Ashdown Forest, said: “Ashdown Forest is an incredible place and has inspired many generations of storytellers, poets, and artists in its long history.

“The rare and vulnerable habitats and the wildlife that makes the Forest so special need our protection and it is great that the next generation of young storytellers have already started to become inspired through this project.”

The Tree of Trees sculpture can be found in the garden of the Ashdown Forest visitor centre and will be enjoyed by visitors until it naturally decays over the course of a year or two.