Grieving families have hit out at a ‘disrespectful’ environmentalist who cut down hundreds of memorial ribbons from a church tree because they are not bio-degradable.
Teila Verch Dywenys, a self-proclaimed witch and tarot reader, posted clips showing her cutting down and binning the ‘plastic and non-biodegradable’ ribbons on a yew tree at Knowlton Church in Dorset.
The colourful ribbons had been tied to the tree as heartfelt tributes by grieving families to remember loved ones. The site near Wimborne has become known as a ‘place of quiet reflection and remembrance’ for the local community.
Ms Dywenys is the founder of The Cleaner Clootie Campaign, encouraging people not to leave non-biodegradable materials that damage the environment and can pose a potentially fatal hazard to animals.
Calling the site at Knowlton ‘holy’ and ‘sacred’, she said that someone had ‘tipped her off’ about the ‘burdened’ tree and that she had spent several hours cutting down the ribbon tributes.
She said the ribbons totalled about 10kg in weight and were largely made from plastics and polyester.
But Kelly Kennard, whose 18-year-old daughter Laionie died in a car crash in 2023, was outraged by the removal of the tributes which she saw as a ‘violation’.
Ms Dywenys later apologised. She said she had not been aware that the tree was used for tributes for bereaved families, and those affected were ‘understandably angered and hurt’.
Grieving families have hit out at a ‘disrespectful’ influencer who ignorantly cut down hundreds of memorial ribbons from a church tree
Teila Verch Dywenys, a self-proclaimed witch and tarot reader, posted clips showing her cutting down and binning the ‘plastic and non-biodegradable’ ribbons on a yew tree at Knowlton Church in Dorset
Mrs Kennard said: ‘These items are not decorations or litter. They are heartfelt tributes left by grieving families, each one carrying deep personal meaning and love.
‘Among the items removed were ribbons placed by my young daughter in memory of her big sister, who we lost in September 2023.
‘For a child to express her grief in that way takes courage, and for those small acts of remembrance to be taken away is profoundly hurtful.
‘It feels like a violation of a sacred space and a dismissal of the pain that families like mine continue to carry every day.
‘That tree has become a place of quiet reflection, remembrance, and connection for those who have lost loved ones.
‘It offers comfort in knowing that others understand grief and that our loved ones are not forgotten.’
She added that interfering with the memorials is ‘both insensitive and deeply disrespectful’.
‘I ask that whoever is responsible reflects on the impact of their actions. Grief does not have a timeline, and remembrance should never be taken away from those who need it most.’
Another bereaved mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was ‘heartbroken’ by the removal and described the act as disrespectful.
Kelly and David Kennard, whose 18-year-old daughter Laionie died in a car crash in 2023 – Ms Kennard said the destruction of the memorial is a ‘violation’
Laionie, 18, was killed in a car crash – her family are one of many who had used the tree to remember their loved ones
She said: ‘I’m heartbroken that a member of the public who has not been approved by any council has taken down all the items by families to honour their loved ones from this beautiful tree at Knowlton Church.
‘These items have been placed not just by my own in the loving memory of my two daughters but other families who have found solace and peace in doing this.
‘Families have been doing this going back 50 years or more. The level of heartless disrespect for grieving families and calling such items as ‘tat’ and ‘rubbish’ has me speechless and upset.
‘This person had no right doing this at all.’
And others claimed Ms Dywenys’ actions suggested a ‘complete lack of empathy’ and that she was ‘naive to others’ grief’.
Ms Dywenys later issued a statement of apology, saying: ‘The Cleaner Clootie Campaign sincerely apologises for any unintended hurt caused to you and your families.
‘We were not aware of any specific bereavement group activity there and therefore it seems that specific memorial ribbons were cleared away alongside all other solid, non-biodegradable items found at the site.
‘Knowlton however exists for all visitors and is not a designated remembrance garden and as such it needs to be respected and maintained as the wild place that it is.
‘This being said, it is important that we all continue to feel that we can connect with nature and our departed loved ones there in meaningful, personal and prayerful ways.’
She said the site has been a place of worship since Pagan times and now regularly hosts Druid gatherings.
But Ms Dywenys also said that the placing of ribbons, which began as an ancient tradition to remember loved ones, has ‘grown exponentially to become a serious modern and environmental problem’.
She said she started The Clootie Campaign to raise awareness of the environmental impact and has been clearing sacred sites across the country.
Many modern ribbons contain polyester or other plastic, meaning they take hundreds of years to fully degrade.
Environmental campaigners have raised concerns that fibres from such ribbons pose a potentially deadly threat to birds and marine wildlife in particular, as these animals can become tangled and trapped in them.
Clootie is a Scottish word and was part of a Pagan ritual for healing by tying a strip of cloth to a sacred well or tree.
Ms Dywenys recommends alternative ways to remember loved ones at the site without leaving non-biodegradable items, such as flowers, singing, reading poems and sitting with friends and family.
The influencer emphasised that these are ‘simple, free and absolutely harmless ways to carry on honouring your loved ones with those who share the space with you’.
Knowlton Church, a Norman Church built in the 12th century, is situated at the centre of a Neolithic ritual henge earthwork. The unusual pairing of the henge and the church symbolises the transition from pagan to Christian worship. It is now managed by English Heritage.
An English Heritage spokesperson said: ‘Knowlton Church and Earthwork is a special historic site, one of the many in the care of our charity which is open for free for people to enjoy.
‘We’re happy to see the site at the heart of the community and the mementoes in the tree have significance for many local people.
‘But like other spontaneous memorials elsewhere, we are aware that not all share the same views about it.’
