What is Seed Gathering Season?

Seed Gathering Season is a campaign which inspires everyone to gather seeds, nuts and fruits to grow into trees for the future. 

The festival starts each year on the 23rd of September (the autumn equinox, considered the first day of autumn) till the 23rd of October, so there’s just a few days left.

The campaign was organised by The Tree Council and is still running strong from 1998, that’s 24 years! 

Today will be focussed on looking at the similarities that growing seeds, building communities and end of life planning have in common.  

What has End of Life Planning Got To Do With Growing Seeds?

If you open a fruit such as a lemon, apple or tomato (yes tomato is a fruit!) you’ll be exposed to lots of small seeds.

Think of these seeds as ideas, small but full of potential. 

To give these seeds potential they require thought, care and nurturing so they can grow into their best form. 

To do this requires a plan, action and desire to follow through with it, e.g. where to plant them, when to do so, what kind of care they need afterwards. 

Similar to when creating an end of life plan, at the beginning it may feel messy, like a handful of seeds. 

You may have lots of documents laying around, you’re unsure what to prioritise or even how to get started!

But like a seed, you work on it, over time. 

You make sure to work on your end of life plan over a period of time, like watering a plant when it’s needed. 

A tree isn’t grown in a day, neither is an end of life plan. 

Making A difference

Bringing you back to the Seed Gathering Season, here it’s important to remember why it exists.  

Trees everywhere are being damaged by pests and diseases. But a great way to ensure the survival of different tree species is to diversify. 

Cultivating local seeds from home soil acts as a good insurance policy to ensure saplings arise when gaps appear. 

Growing trees from local seed can have great benefits in restocking areas with trees of the local province. 

This suggests that trees are adaptable to their local circumstances (quite like humans!) 

Symbolising that they are more likely to flourish and to restore, conserve and beautify local and urban places. 

Think of trees like a community. Growing together, shaping their surroundings and giving back to the environment. 

You have to admit, a great collection of magnificent trees is quite beautiful, isn’t it?

Growing Your End Of Life Plan 

Trees are excellent symbols of what can grow if care and nature are given. 

What might be a seed today may be the largest tree in a community 300 years from now. 

Like in the beginning stages of creating your end of life plan, information, notes and ideas are written down. 

These are then all gathered and organised in a coherent method in forming the basis of having a fully practical end of life plan. 

What was notes is now a plan that serves a much greater function than just arranging your dealings after death. 

It brings security, stability and a sense of support for your family after you’re gone. 

Just as a tree can last for decades, an end of life plan can ensure your legacy. 

leaving wishes for loved ones, ensuring how you’ll be remembered or protecting the achievements you’ve made in your life. An end of life plan allows you to forge your legacy for years after you’re gone.  

If you haven’t already done so, getting your end of life plan started can seem like a large task when starting from a blank slate. 

Much like the tree flourishing in its local habitat with others, there is a community of like minded individuals. See below to see passionate group of individuals who help others create their end of life plan. 

A Community of Like Minded Individuals 

You can check out the Before I Go End Of Life Conversations Community here, on Facebook. You’ll find like minded individuals who will not only help you grow, but also will help you grow your end of life plan and bring relief, reassurance and rewards to yourself and your family.