On 2 February, Jake Gutteridge, Co-Director of Tree Fun Facts, was invited to attend an interfaith event at New London Synagogue, London, celebrating the Jewish holiday of "Tu BiShvat", the 15th day of the month of Shevat, which is a day dedicated to the celebration of trees, also known as the "New Year for Trees".

Although Tu BiShvat is considered a minor religious holiday in Judaism, it is widely celebrated as an ecological awareness day in contemporary Israel, where school children, families, and government leaders plant new trees and eat fruits, nuts, and fresh produce as a reminder that trees provide us with nutritious food.

It was insightful to hear from community leaders about the importance of trees and the religious perspectives on why we should respect them. We heard Jewish, Islamic, and Christian perspectives, as well as a presentation from a bird protection charity on why trees are important to birds.

Let's remember that trees have been life-givers since the very beginning of humanity, and that different religious beliefs share common truths that we can all appreciate.