Green Legacy Hiroshima
OSDI partnered with the Japanese organization Green Legacy Hiroshima, established to care for the hibakujumoku – revered trees which survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. GLH volunteers began collecting seeds from these legacy trees in 2011 to send around the world, as reminders of the resilience of life and the desire and need for peace in a nuclear-armed world. The progeny are known as Hiroshima Peace Trees.
OSDI received a packet of seeds in April of 2017, which were germinated and cared for by arborist Michael Oxendine, Ph.D., then Landscape Supervisor at Southern Oregon University. OSDI began seeking public homes for over 120 saplings, and later assumed care of the young ginkgos, persimmons, camphors and camellias. Camphors were placed in warmer climates (a few are still available from a partner in Atlanta, Georgia).
In May of 2019, OSDI gratefully partnered with Oregon Community Trees and the Oregon Department of Forestry to continue care and distribution of remaining ginkgos and persimmons in communities throughout Oregon. ODF has a list of plantings in Oregon.
Many public dedications planned for 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing and the end of World War II were unfortunately postponed due to the pandemic. However, most of the trees have been planted and those in Oregon can be found on the ODF site above.
OSDI will continue to post photos, news releases and videos of plantings and dedications we receive.
In January of 2022 Hideko was featured in the Japan-based Green Legacy Hiroshima Partners in Profile program, highlighting the extensive work OSDI has done in bringing so many Peace Trees to Oregon and other states.
Ashland - Japanese Garden, Lithia Park - Camellia - March 16th, 2023
Dedication May 13, 2023. Sponsored by Ashland Dept. of Parks & Recreation. Event organized by One Sunny Day Initiatives, Southern Oregon Japanese Association and Peace House, with assistance from Parks & Recreation, and the Japanese Garden Committee and volunteers. We combined the dedication of the Peace Camellia, planted near the entrance to the newly created Japanese Garden in Lithia Park, with the sharing of Japanese cultural arts. To add to the garden experience, SOJA members demonstrated Taiko drumming, ikebana flower arranging, shakuhachi flute, wearing of kimono, and a formal tea ceremony. A member of Mayors for Peace, Ashland's Mayor Tonya Graham thanked participants for enriching the life of the community. Program and photosheet.
Ashland - Thalden Pavilion, Southern Oregon University - Ginkgo - August 6th, 2020
Sponsored by The City of Ashland. The tree is located at Thalden Pavilion, on the grounds of Southern Oregon University. It joins the Ashland World Peace Flame and Anishinabe Teaching Poles. Local video coverage from KDRV.
Update: The tree was dedicated on August 6th, 2022 as part of Ashland's 38th Annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki Vigil. Hideko and other community members involved with the OSDI/GLH collaboration spoke, accompanied by the Rogue Valley Peace Choir. The event was recorded and will be available shortly on our YouTube channel. It will also be featured in a documentary by David-Paul Hedburg.
Central Point - Skyrman Arboretum - Ginkgo - March 13th, 2020
Picture taken May 23th, 2020.
Coos Bay - Southwest Oregon Community College - Ginkgo - May 22nd, 2021
Dedicated October 1st, 2021. SOCC Press Release, unveiling Video.
Corvallis - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park - Ginkgo - March 26th, 2021
Sponsored by Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department. Local coverage from the Corvallic Gazette Times: Corvallis plants Hiroshima tree, Corvallis hosts saplings grown from Hiroshima seeds
Corvallis - Oregon State University - Persimmon - April 11th, 2019
Sponsored by the Asian & Pacific Culture Center of Oregon State University. APCC Flyer, local coverage by Corvallis Gazette-Times.
Corvallis - Western View Center - Ginkgo - January 7th, 2021
Sponsored by Adams Elementary School Green Team. Dedicated April 22nd, 2021.
Cottage Grove - Coiner Park - Ginkgo - February 17th, 2020
Sponsored by Cotttage Grove Mayor and Urban Forestry Committee.
Local coverage by Cottage Grove Sentinel, Flyer, Mayor's Proclamation Note: This tree was planted after it's leaves dropped for the winter.
Eugene - Alton Baker Park - Persimmon - August 6th, 2019
Sponsored by WAND (Women's Action for New Directions).
Gladstone - Gladstone Nature Park - Ginkgo - March 28th, 2020
Sponsored by Friends of Gladstone Nature Park, located at Gladstone Nature Park. It will be formally dedicated on October 3rd, 2020.
Grants Pass - Greenwood River Trail - Ginkgo - April 2nd, 2021
Sponsored by the City of Grants Pass. The tree is planted along the Greenwood River Trail, just inside the Water Restoration Plant fencing. A dedication is expected in the Fall of 2021.
Happy Valley - Veterans Memorial Park - Ginkgo - November 11th, 2021
Hillsboro - Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve - Ginkgo - April 22th, 2019
Sponsored by the City of Hillsboro. Planted in Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve.
Dignitaries and Special Guests:
Hillsboro Mayor, Steve Callaway
Hillsboro City Councilor, Anthony Martin
Hillsboro City Councilor, Beach Pace
Jim Hill, Publisher of Yuuyake Shibum newspaper
Keiko Honda, of Yuuyake Simbum newspaper
Setsy Larouche, President, The Oregon Hiroshima Club
Jim Iwasaki, owner, Iwasaki Brothers Nursery
Marleen Ikeda Wallingford, President, Portland Japanese-American Citizens League (JACL)
Graham Morris, Executive Director, Japan America Society of Oregon
Hood River - Idlewild Cemetery - Ginkgo - March 1st, 2021
Sponsored by Hood River Tree Committee and organized by Tyler Roth and David-Paul B. Hedberg. Two ginkgo trees overlook Japanese American family headstones in two separate parts of the cemetery. For over a century many Issei (first generation) and Nisei (second generation, born in US) families came from Hiroshima and other parts of Japan to settle in Hood River. Many were successful orchardists and fruit growers. During the Second World War these families faced the trauma of prejudice, forced internment, and loss of property. Linda Tamura's father served in the US Army during the war, at the same time as the US government was incarcerating his fellow Japanese American neighbors and family. After the war, despite serving his country, town leaders attempted to remove his name and other Japanese American US military veterans from a memorial. Now, the families that come to visit their ancestors from Hiroshima, and other parts of Japan, can also give their respects to a tree that has also come from Hiroshima. Peace takes on many meanings and forms.
Independence - Inspiration Garden, at Mt. Fir Park - Ginkgo - April 30th, 2021
Sponsored by Polk County Master Gardeners, with assistance from, Rotary of Monmouth-Independence, Boy Scouts and the City of Independence. Dedication Ceremony.
Klamath Falls - Klamath Union High School - Ginkgos - May, 9th 2020
Sponsored by Klamath Union High School. Thank you to Four Seasons Landscaping in Klamath Falls who volunteered their time for the planting and landscaping of the area with native boulders to create a delightful environment for the trees.
On May 20th, 2023 a dedication ceremony and student art show was held for the Ginkgo trees attended by monks from Shasta Abbey, Shasta Taiko Drummers, artist Betty LaDuke, 5th Oregon Poet Laureate Lawson Inada, with Shakuhachi flute accompaniment by Todd Barton. Dedication program.
Pictures by Gayle Yamasaki and Estelle Voeller.
Lake Oswego - Foothills Park - Ginkgo - April 13th, 2019
Sponsored by City of Lake Oswego. Planted at Foothills Park to celebrate Arbor Week and National Poetry Month. Guest speakers included representatives from the Veterans Memorial Project and Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford, to present the City’s 30 Year Tree City USA Award. Video (source #ClackCo TV) Flyer (2.6MB PDF, source City of Lake Oswego) Local coverage at The Statesman Journal.
Medford - Medford Congregational United Church of Christ - Asian Persimmon - February 28th, 2020
Originally planted in 2020, the dedication was posponed due to COVID-19 and held on May 22nd, 2022. The tree shares space a with a Peace Pole inscribed with "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in ten languages.
Newberg - Chehalem Valley Middle School - Persimmon - March 12th, 2020
Sponsored by Chehalem Valley Middle School. Picture taken April 15th, 2020.
Rogue River - John F. Fleming Memorial Park - Ginkgo - April 22nd, 2020
Sponsored by Rogue River Tree Committee.
Roseburg - Umpqua Community College - Ginkgo
Salem - Oregon Dept. of Forestry headquarters - Ginkgo - April 2nd, 2020
ODF planted a Hiroshima peace tree on its Salem headquarters campus on April 2, 2020. Due to the pandemic a public planting ceremony could not be held. So the public dedication was held on Sept. 21, 2022, International Peace Day, when it could finally be an in-person event. The dedication of the ODF tree in Salem was the capstone of the statewide celebration of 51 Hiroshima peace trees across Oregon. Watch the Hiroshima peace tree dedication at ODF's Salem headquarters Oregon Department of Forestry Celebrates Conclusion of Statewide Plantings of Hiroshima Peace Trees
Silverton - Oregon Garden - Ginkgo - April 18th, 2020
Sponsored by The Oregon Garden.
Talent - Chuck Roberts Park - Ginkgo & Persimmon - October 10th, 2020
Sponsored by The City of Talent. These two Peace Trees at Chuck Roberts Park take on a special meaning as the dedication, originally delayed by COVID-19 concerns, occurred just days after the Almeda Fire was finally extinguished. The fire swept along the I-5 corridor and into Talent and neighboring Phoenix. Hundreds of homes and businesses were completely destroyed, showing this local Oregon community just a hint of the complete destruction visited upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years ago. Hideko's remarks (video).
Remarks by Jason Clark, Talent City Councilor, October 10th, 2020
"We are honored to have Hideko Tamara-Snider here with us this morning. Since learning about the Peace Tree project, I have learned about all the amazing work you have done. And I so appreciate you because the need for the message you bring is so critical in this time. We would be remiss if we didn’t take time to acknowledge why there is a Peace Tree project in the first place. Folks around my age growing up in the cold war were very aware of the threat of nuclear war. But since then, the issue has faded in the public’s consciousness, but the threat is just a real now as it was then. And it will continue to be until we live in a world free of nuclear weapons. And I believe we have a responsibility to work for peace. Planting these Peace Trees is working for peace and I’m excited to be cooperating in this effort with all of you today. Thank you so much your work Hideko."
"Part of the message of the Peace Trees is about resilience in the face of disaster. So it’s very auspicious for us to be following through on implementing this project just one month since the disastrous Almeda Fire. The growth of these trees in these coming years will parallel the restoration of our community. And so I’ve been envisioning that in my mind and thinking about how planting and composting, watering and nurturing these trees is being and must continue to be matched by planting the seeds of love, compassion, and resilience in our community that will allow Talent to grow and prosper and be true to its roots."
Tillamook - Carnahan Park - Ginkgo - April 24th, 2021
Planted on Arbor Day by Mayor Suzanne Weber, City Manager Paul Wyntergreen, and several Public Works employees.
Turner - David Sawyer Park - Ginkgo - May 31st, 2022
Sponsored by the city of Turner Ginkgo tree Dedicated March 31, 2022. Photo credits: Linda Hansen, City Clerk
Vernonia - Ora Bolmeier Park - Ginkgo - August 27th, 2022
Peace tree from Hiroshima planted in Vernonia, Oregon, Vernonia Plants Hiroshima Peace Tree
