Cambridge City Council is one of the first areas to launch with us on our national street tree sponsorship scheme!
Any resident of Cambridge can simply fill in some details on our easy-to-use online platform to request a street tree from the local council. The council then assesses the chosen location, and if it is suitable, arrangements will be made to plant a tree the following winter, which is the best time to plant young trees to ensure they grow and thrive.
“This is a really exciting development for Cambridge. This scheme makes it possible for all residents to make a direct contribution to improving their neighbourhood for generations to come, and complements the ongoing work of the Cambridge Canopy Project. We’re taking a holistic view of the whole city – while there are some areas of Cambridge that are leafy and offer lots of green space, there are still plenty where we want to increase the tree cover, so every tree counts in expanding our urban forest.”
Cllr Alex Collis, Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Sustainable Food and Community Wellbeing, Cambridge City Council
Why are street trees important?
Our urban trees are pretty amazing and the appetite for easily accessible local green space continues to increase.
Street trees do a lot for us:
• capture carbon dioxide and produce oxygen
• improve our health and wellbeing – both physically and mentally
• absorb air pollution
• improve air quality by acting like natural filters
• protect us from flooding
• create shading and cooling – so important in towns and cities
• make the neighbourhoods where we live that bit nicer
Beyond sponsoring a tree, there are lots of other ways for people to get involved. Once each street tree is planted, it will need watering every week throughout the summer for 3 years to give it the best chance of survival, and any litter or weeds will need removing too, to make sure it thrives.
By donating their time (and water) to care for street trees, they’ll be contributing to a legacy for their community. It’s also a great opportunity to chat with neighbours, and enjoy the fresh air these trees provide.
“We want to inspire and empower communities to take a leading role in greening their streets.
It’s really exciting to have Cambridge on board. They really understand the power of sponsorship to raise additional funding to support the planting of more trees. This is all about communities and councils working together more closely.”
Simeon Linstead, Project Director of Trees for Streets
