Local man’s tree-mendous gift for LA-based son

When his son Jake hit a milestone birthday earlier this year, Edge resident Kel Portman decided to do something a little different. Instead of sending a bottle of bubbly or a hamper across the pond to celebrate Jake’s 50th, Kel plumped for a greener gift that will endure for decades – five trees planted by volunteers at Stroud Valleys Project (SVP).

“Jake comes from Stroud but he’s an animator and he’s lived in Los Angeles for years now,” explains Kel. “A Tree Planting Gift Certificate from Stroud Valleys Project seemed the perfect present: it’s something a bit unusual, with real meaning; a legacy that will benefit local people and the planet – and will give pleasure to many for another 50 years or even longer. And, of course, it maintains that proud link with his Stroud heritage!”

Kel visited Stroud Valleys Project’s site at Salmon Springs to plant one of the trees himself: a wild cherry. Kel and his colleagues from arts collective Walking the Land are also involved in a tree-planting project in Nailsworth, working as part of a collaboration which links artists with wider communities in bringing together art, people and landscape; Stroud Valleys Project and Walking the Land partnered on a community tree-planting day in January.  

“Walking the Land and Stroud Valleys Project share many values,” says Kel. “We both see our landscape in a wider context – as a home, a habitat, and a place of interconnected threads of beauty.”

Stroud Valleys Project CEO Clare Mahdiyone adds, “It was a pleasure to welcome Kel to our Salmon Springs site to plant one of Jake’s trees. We’re working alongside Stroud District Council to plant thousands of trees across the area to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“As well as being a unique gift, SVP Tree Planting Gift Certificates make a difference to the whole of Stroud’s community – the trees we plant today will still be enjoyed for generations to come!”

If you’d like to find out more about SVP’s Tree Planting Gift Certificates and other ways you can support the charity’s work, please email info@stroudvalleysproject.org or call 01453 753358.