A Symbol of Peace Planted at Senior School Voorschoten

On Wednesday 5 November, a very special addition was made to the Eco Garden at our Senior School Voorschoten (SSV) campus: a sapling grown from seeds of a tree that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Known as a Peace Tree, it stands as a powerful symbol of the importance of peace in today’s world.

The sapling was donated through the Green Legacy Hiroshima initiative, a global project that shares seeds from survivor trees with communities around the world. The initiative aims to promote peace and environmental stewardship by creating living connections to history. The tree gifted to the BSN is a Japanese hackberry (Celtis jessoensis), which can grow to around 20 metres tall.

We are honoured that the Municipality of Voorschoten selected The British School in the Netherlands (BSN) to receive this meaningful gift, recognising our international character and culturally diverse community of nearly 90 nationalities.

To mark the occasion, students from all four campuses, together with staff, gathered in the Eco Garden for a planting ceremony. They were joined by BSN CEO Louise Simpson, SSV Headteacher Patrick Heuff, members of our Executive Leadership Team (ELT), and Voorschoten Alderman Hubert Schokker.

Alderman Schokker on the decision to gift the tree to the BSN:

"This is a special event, and a reminder of the destruction 80 years ago, from which new life emerged. The seeds of the trees were cultivated and distributed throughout the world, including in the Netherlands. Voorschoten received the offer for the Peace Tree, and we felt The British School in the Netherlands, with its international community, was the best location for it because the events in Hiroshima affected the entire world."

The event was a moment of reflection, not only on the history behind the tree but also on the vital role education plays in shaping a more peaceful future.

Louise Simpson on the significance of the event:

It is a privilege that we, as a school, have the honour to care for this tree. Children are the future, after all.

Patrick Heuff also commented:

The BSN is incredibly honoured to receive this tree through the Green Legacy Hiroshima initiative, one of many that has travelled all over the world. This tree will serve as a reminder that something like this should never happen again.

The Eco Garden, which is maintained by students as part of our sustainability initiatives, is now home to this extraordinary tree. Over the years, it will grow as a living symbol of resilience and hope.