Trees rise from ashes of deceased

Families and friends gathered in Wellington Forrest to plant trees with ashes of loved ones as part of the world-first initiative on Sunday.

Living Legacy director of operations for Western Australia Daniel Moore said he was amazed with response.

“I was delighted with the turn out,” Mr Moore said.

“We’ve got a nice variety of different families turn up, there are kids with their grandparents, little elderly couples.”

Mr Moore said the first tree planting day would serve as a great stepping stone for more events to come.

“For our first event I think it was the perfect number, it’s nice and manageable and we are always learning for future events,” he said.

“We are hoping that after Sunday’s event, now that this has been created and from word of mouth and media exposure, it would be nice to get more people at the next tree planting day.”

Families were able to plant a tree of their choice using their loved one’s treated ashes to nurture the soil and contribute to the circle of life by giving energy to another living organism.

Mr Moore said he was blown away with the positive nature from the families.

“There was a really amazing energy from everyone here, you feel that community spirit and you’ve got families talking to other families even though it is a very personal event, everyone is sharing this event with each other,” he said. “It was a complete contrast to what your typical cemetery ceremony would be.

“I’ve been to a couple of funerals, like most of us and it’s very sad and morbid but it’s the complete polar opposite to what the energy is here today.”

Living Legacy founder Warren Roberts first thought of the idea after the loss of a close friend and used nature as an outlet to heal.

“I really wasn’t coping with her loss and I was unable to cry as I was holding in all of my emotions,” Mr Roberts said. “This is when I began spending more time in nature and I really started to feel a lot better and first thought of the idea to put our loved ones ashes into trees so we could regain the connection with something that was alive.”

For families who could not attend the first tree planting day, the next event will be held on Sunday, July 14 at the same location in the Wellington Forest.