December 2003: Trees
Solly Zuckerman (1904-1993) became a trustee of the Tree Foundation in 1978.
The letter (GB 1187 SZ/TF/6/5/1) to Jack Heinz of the giant Pittsburgh food corporation, is typical of Zuckerman the fund-raiser.
Photograph courtesy University of East Anglia.
18th April, 1979
It is terribly sad about Whitney. Somehow or other I used to feel he would outlast us all. Daphne seems to be taking his loss bravely.
It doesn't seem the moment to twist your arm, but could you contribute to a Foundation which has just been established ro raise funds in order to help make good the devastation caused by Elm disease in the U.K. I need hardly tell you what a mess it has made of some parts of the country. You know some of the Trustees (list attached) and no doubt some of the people who are on the Court. Jakie Astor and Hughie Northumberland pulled me in.
There is an enormous gap in this Country in the organisations interested in trees. The main one, the Forestry Commission, is concerned only with commercial planting, while the Local Authorities operate as a civil service does everywhere. We want to activate and help the ordinary individual to plant trees. It's going to need a hell of an effort and also a lot of money, but the job's got to be done. Dead elms everywhere and no replacements ! No.