Wellbeing Through 10 Trees

March 2023

As part of a third-year wellbeing module, I completed weekly tasks aimed at improving different aspects of my wellbeing. These activities ranged from setting time limits on apps to incorporating daily stretches into my routine.

One week, I challenged myself to learn the names of 10 common UK trees. Rather than simply memorising the list, I saw this as a chance to create a set of flashcards as learning resources to support the task. It became a small but fulfilling design challenge - one that combined creativity, visual learning, and nature education.

Trees Featured

Using data from Ecosulis' list of the most common UK trees, I created resources featuring the following species:

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) – Native
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) – Native
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) – Non-native
Elder (Sambucus nigra) – Native
Hazel (Corylus avellana) – Native
English Oak (Quercus robur) – Native
Holly (Ilex aquifolium) – Native
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) – Native
Alder (Alnus glutinosa) – Native
Common Sallow (Salix cinerea) – Native

Source: Ecosulis (2022) Top 50 Most Common UK Trees. Accessed: 26 Feb 2023.

The Flashcards

Informative flashcard about the Hawthorn tree (Crataegus monogyna). The background is light blue with a large image of a blooming hawthorn tree on the right and red hawthorn berries with green leaves at the bottom left. The word “HAWTHORN” is written vertically in bold black letters on the left, with the scientific name "Crataegus monogyna" placed vertically beside it. A yellow badge near the top center reads “#1 in the UK.” A text box at the bottom right says: “Most of these will have been recorded from hedgerows, where it is grown as a shrub, rather than a tree.”

Informative flashcard about the Ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior). The background is light blue with a large image of a mature ash tree with a full canopy of green leaves on the right. The word “ASH” is written vertically in bold black letters on the left, with the scientific name "Fraxinus excelsior" beside it. Leaf illustrations appear to the left of the tree. A yellow badge near the top reads “#2 in the UK.” A boxed text at the bottom right says: “Likely to drop further in rank in future years, as this tree suffers from Ash Dieback, which is spreading rapidly across the country.”

Educational infographic about the Sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus). The design has a pale blue background with images of a full sycamore tree, a single green leaf, and a cluster of brown winged seeds. Large vertical text reads “SYCAMORE,” with the scientific name written beside it. A yellow circle states “#3 in the UK.” A box at the bottom right says: “The only non-native species to crack the top ten, Sycamore spreads rapidly and is likely to invade some spaces currently occupied by Ash.”

Educational infographic about the Elder tree (Sambucus nigra). The background is pale blue with images of a full Elder tree with white flowers, a cluster of green leaves with dark elderberries, and a wooden spoon containing elderberries. Large vertical text reads “ELDER,” with the scientific name beside it. A yellow circle states “#4 in the UK.” A box reads: “A short-lived tree which produces Elderberries – a great source of food in the autumn for wildlife.”

Educational infographic about the Hazel tree (Corylus avellana). The pale blue background features images of a full hazel tree with dense green foliage, a close-up of green hazel leaves with nuts, and a single green leaf. Large vertical text reads “HAZEL” with the scientific name beside it. A yellow circle states “#5 in the UK.” A box reads: “Planted widely in the past by humans who used its nuts and coppiced it to produce charcoal and rods for fencing.”

A flashcard with a light blue border and background, featuring information about the English Oak tree. On the right, a large, vibrant green English Oak tree with a sturdy brown trunk dominates the upper half. To its left, a small circular label says "#6 in the UK". Below the tree, a close-up image shows two golden-brown acorns with their caps and two fallen, dried yellow oak leaves. Further below and to the left of the acorns is a single, detailed green oak leaf. On the left side of the flashcard, the words "ENGLISH OAK" are written vertically in large, dark letters. Next to "ENGLISH OAK," the scientific name "QUERCUS ROBUR" is written vertically in smaller letters. In the bottom right corner, a black rectangular box contains a description: "A long-lived tree which produces high quality, dense timber, perfect for construction of buildings."

A flashcard about Holly, with a light blue background. On the right, a tall, conical holly tree with dark green leaves is depicted. To the left of the tree, a yellow circle states "#7 in the UK". Above and to the left of the yellow circle are two images of holly branches with glossy green leaves and bright red berries. On the left side of the flashcard, the word "HOLLY" is written vertically in large black letters, with "ILEX AQUIFOLIUM" (the scientific name) written vertically beside it in smaller text. In the bottom right corner, a black bordered box contains the description: "The highest-ranked evergreen species, this produces berries during winter, which are a valuable food source during cold months."

A flashcard with a light blue background, showcasing information about the Blackthorn tree. The upper right features a large image of a Blackthorn tree covered in small white blossoms. Below the tree, a yellow circle with "#8 in the UK" is present. To the left of this circle is a cluster of dark blue sloe berries on a small branch with green leaves. In the bottom left, a close-up shows several ripe sloe berries. On the left side of the flashcard, "BLACKTHORN" is written vertically in large black letters, with its scientific name, "PRUNUS SPINOSA," written vertically beside it in smaller text. In the bottom right, a black-bordered box contains the description: "Producing abundant Sloe berries, sheltered by long thorns, this is typically found as a hedge shrub rather than a tree."

A flashcard with a light blue background and border, presenting information about the Alder tree. On the right, a large, well-leafed Alder tree with a light brown trunk is prominently displayed. A yellow circular label above it states "#9 in the UK". Below the tree, to the left, there's a close-up image of a branch with several yellow-brown catkins hanging from it. Below the catkins, a detailed green Alder leaf is shown. On the left side of the flashcard, the word "ALDER" is written vertically in large black letters, with its scientific name, "ALNUS GLUTINOSA," written vertically beside it in smaller text. In the bottom right corner, a black rectangular box contains the description: "This riparian (river-edge) species likes wet roots and the timber is good for use in wet environments, as it tends not to rot."

A flashcard with a light blue background and border, presenting information about the Common Sallow tree. In the upper right and center, various stages of sallow catkins are depicted: fluffy white catkins on branches at the top, and more mature, yellowish-brown catkins further down and to the right. A yellow circular label states "#10 in the UK". In the bottom left, a close-up shows a single branch with prominent yellowish catkins. On the left side of the flashcard, the words "COMMON SALLOW" are written vertically in large black letters, with its scientific name, "SALIX CINEREA," written vertically beside it in smaller text. In the bottom right corner, a black rectangular box contains the description: "Our most common willow, this tree likes wet soils and produces many catkins in early spring, ideal for pollinators."

Reflection

Although a small project, this task gave me the opportunity to practice creating bite-sized educational resources and connect wellbeing goals with creative output. It was a reminder that even small, personal challenges can become valuable opportunities to design purposeful learning materials.

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