Girl, 11, turns marsh trees into quirky characters

Visitors taking a stroll along the River Lee in Hackney Marshes may spot a series of signs fixed to the trees, each sharing an eccentric, whimsical tale.

An 11‑year‑old girl is behind the notices and over the past year has spent her family walks inventing backstories for each tree.

Niovi's project, called the Talking Tree Collective, now features characters.

Among them is Humble Dick. His story reads: "In the war of 1952 between the local gang of sting nettles and a group of young saplings over a patch of scrubland, the brave Professor Humble Dick the Fourth was the last shoot standing."

Other characters include Bernard the litter‑picking tree who is described as a "descendant of a legendary environmentalist lineage" inspired by nature documentaries.

Niovi told BBC London "it started like a year ago when we walked around the marshes and we saw funny looking trees.

"We would make stories for them and then we eventually gave them personalities and names."

Each tree's backstory comes from its appearance - for example, if a tree has a dent, she will imagine how it might have got it.

What started as a simple game during family walks with Coco the dog has since grown into a small, unofficial literacy trail.

The signs are anonymous, attributed only to the "Talking Tree Collective", leaving their author a mystery until Niovi came forward.

Her father, Doug, helped her make the signs but leaves most of the creativity to Niovi.

Doug said: "I've mostly been consigned to laminating and printing, so I leave the imagination to Niovi.

"I think news is pretty tough at the moment, so it's nice to do something which is a bit more joyous."

The signs are expected to remain in place for a few weeks, giving passers‑by a brief glimpse into Niovi's world.

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