Learning from past by sowing seeds of hope

RECENTLY, the world observed the 80th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

- Dr Sarah Taylor - lecturer in ecology at Keele University

A series of events were held to remember the victims, advocate for nuclear disarmament, and reflect on the ongoing threat of nuclear weapons in a world of escalating conflicts.

Back in March, I put in a successful application to the Green Legacy Hiroshima (GLH) Initiative on behalf of Keele University to get some seed harvested from trees that survived the first atomic explosion on 6 August 1945.

These remarkable trees, known as 'Hibakujumoku' in Japanese, were within 2km of the hypocentre of the blast.

Their survival is a testament to the resilience of nature, and the seeds are being distributed around the world as a message of hope and peace.

I sowed seeds from a 200-year-old ginkgo in June and after a lot of anxious waiting, two months later, days before the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima, the first miniature ginkgo leaf fully unfurled.

The timing of this message of hope felt profound.

The initiative was brought to Keele's attention by PhD researcher Franco Castro Escobar, after he undertook a postgraduate research trip to Hiroshima in 2024.