Hiroshima gingko seed on its way

A SYMBOL of the resilience and hope of the people of Hiroshima will soon be growing in Dunedin.

Yesterday marked the 72nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

A seed from a gingko tree which survived the blast and was found near the hypocentre of the bombing is on its way to Dunedin, to be cultivated at Dunedin Botanic Garden.

The project is being led by the Rotary Club of Dunedin Central, which connected with the Green Legacy Hiroshima (GLH) initiative.

The initiative is a global volunteer campaign which aims to disseminate seeds of trees which survived the atomic bombing as symbols of hope and resilience.

Seeds and saplings from more than 160 surviving trees within a 2km radius of the atomic bomb hypocentre are now growing in about 30 countries.

Rotary Club of Dunedin Central GLH liaison Graham Spence said the club wanted to establish a lasting memory of the implications and tragedy of warfare, and the trees which germinated would be a gesture of lasting peace.

‘‘The eventual presence of this tree in Dunedin will cement a relationship with Hiroshima and the many cities around the world supporting Green Legacy Hiroshima.’’

The seed left Japan a few days ago.