The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on the 6th of August 1945 changed the world forever. Out of this devastation came a story of recovery, resilience and hope, with trees at the centre.
The spring of 1946 saw leaves sprouting on trees and plants in Hiroshima that became known as hibakujumoku, Japanese for survivor tree or A-bombed tree.
Green Legacy Hiroshima was created in 2011, an initiative within the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). They collect seeds from the hibakujumoku trees and share them with botanic gardens and institutions worldwide as potent symbols of the resilience of nature and the need to constantly work towards advancing peace.
It is fitting that during the 80th anniversary year of the dropping of the A-bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that the University of Melbourne and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne have partnered together to bring more seeds of hope to Australia. This brief presentation tells this remarkable story.