Caroline Cupitt
Caroline Cupitt - Consultant arboriculturist and Tree Care Team member since 2020
Caroline Cupitt is our main consultant on arboricultural matters. She is too modest to accept the title without qualification. She prefers to be described as an “Orchard Specialist”. In fact she is now self-employed on the basis of tree-knowledge gained in the last ten years, while also volunteering with other projects and working freelance for the Orchard Project. “One of my interests now is grafting from veteran fruit trees. If anyone knows of old fruit trees in local streets or gardens, whether or not they produce fruit, I’d love to hear.”
Caroline is originally from Cambridge and studied psychology, moving to London as an adult. In 2021 she retired early from a senior management role in the NHS, finally able to realise her dream of a second career based on trees. She became aware of our work and saw an opportunity to broaden her experience by additional volunteering in our tree care team. “One of the delights of street trees, as an element of the urban forest, is the sheer variety of species and the challenge of naming the less common ones, such as desert willow." Caroline finds a few favourite books, such as the Collins Tree Guide and Paul Wood's London’s Street Trees a great help with this.
As a key member of our Tree Care Team, Caroline administers TLC to our young trees most weeks, across the borough as needed. Caroline loves the camaraderie of the team, and “especially the ritual showing off of new pruning tools before sessions on the street". A comfort, perhaps, in the face of potential muggers!
Caroline has a passionate and formidable interest in trees but is also very enthusiastic about how they can involve urban communities and young people in natural processes. Out of forty-six nature-based projects in Lewisham borough, she fondly mentions one in particular - Wildcat Wilderness where veteran apple and pear trees are to be found, not to mention a tree-house and an outdoor kitchen, and sometimes even cloth-dyeing and a campfire!
If you see young street trees (max 4m height) needing attention, please email Bea Mills our tree-care team manager bea@streettreesforliving.org. You can email old fruit tree locations in Lewisham to Caroline caroline.cupitt@theorchardproject.org.uk