Oct 10 - Gibraltar To London 1,500 Mile Charity Bike Ride
Russell Ball, founder of the charity Fund4Trees, set off on his 1,500 mile charity bike ride today from Gibraltar to London – solo and unsupported.
His journey commenced with a tree planting event at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens with Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Dr. John Cortes and children from Notre Dame First School.
Russell gave a talk to the children on the benefits of urban trees and why they are vital for the health of the planet.
Russell’s bike journey will take him two and a half weeks to complete. He will stop en route in Madrid, San Sebastian and Paris to plant trees in schools and his journey will end with a tree planting at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London.
Fund4Trees aims to promote sustainable treescapes by promoting and advancing the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of trees in the physical and natural environment. Funds raised by the charity are passed on to scientists working to secure a sustainable future for trees in our landscapes.
Russell is a Chartered Biologist and his qualifications also include an honours degree in botany and a postgraduate diploma in landscape management. He is currently a consulting arborist working out of NW London and the President of the International Society of Arboriculture UKI Chapter. In 1996, he was voted Environmental Londoner of the Year and in the same year (jointly) won a Royal Horticultural Society silver-gilt medal for Rainforest Belize at the Chelsea Flower Show.
The Gibraltar Botanic Gardens have thanked Russell for choosing to start his amazing journey at The Alameda and wish him all the best on his cycle back to London.
Pics:
1) Russell Ball planting a tree at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens with the help of school children
2) Russell setting off on his journey from the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens
3) Russell with Botanic Gardens staff and the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Dr John Cortes
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