Meet Tom and Gillian, an eco-conscious and community-minded couple living in Cambridge City. When recent roadworks left a section of their busy street tree less, they knew instinctively this needed to be filled, so they turned to Trees for Streets. This is their story…
Sponsor a tree, or six
Being nature lovers Tom and Gillian wanted to do their bit to help green up their neighbourhood. They’d heard about the Trees for Streets sponsorship scheme through their local council. This enabled them to pick the locations where they’d like trees planted, and submit an easy online request to the council to sponsor a street tree, or in their case, several!
Winter planting
Following a successfully survey of the location, Cambridge City Council’s tree team planted Tom and Gillian’s trees in early spring. The couple were over the moon. Reflecting on their experience of sponsoring trees, Tom told us that, “The online and offline service worked very well.”
Planting the way for change
Their road is a high-traffic main road, so their newly sponsored trees will help absorb air pollution whilst also greening up their local community. But sponsoring trees isn’t the couple’s first foray into planting for the environment…
Hedge-tastic
Tom and Gillian have a quite a track record in greening up their own land. According to Gillian when they moved in fifteen years ago, there was very little in the garden so they planted hedges along all the edges.
“It used to be a football field!” Tom informed us.
Hedges are another fantastic way to support local wildlife and help improve our air quality. Tom and Gillian have been encouraging their neighbours to plant beech hedges, helping to foster a sense of shared responsibility for the street they all live on.
Joining a community of tree sponsors
They have also taken on the job of watering these 6 sponsored trees – dutifully carry watering cans across the road of an evening. They tell us this has started many a conversation with their neighbours.
During a recent heatwave, Tom and Gillian were making sure not only their trees, but nearby new trees were getting the water they need to have the best possible start to life.
Green up your street!
Tom and Gillian’s story serves as a shining example of how individuals can come together to make a positive environmental impact, fostering a sense of community pride and well-being.
If you’d like to follow in Tom and Gillian’s footsteps, whether in Cambridge or elsewhere, you can search for your council here.
