Petri lives in the Arbury area of Cambridge, to the north of the city. There’s plenty of scope for more street trees to be planted in this area, so we hope that local residents will be keen to get involved with the tree sponsorship scheme offered by Cambridge City Council on our platform.
Cambridge – Early Adopters
Cambridge was the first city council to join the Trees for Streets national street tree sponsorship scheme, and although the scheme was only launched there in Spring 2021, lots of residents have already taken the opportunity to sponsor trees outside their homes.
When Petri found out that he could sponsor a tree in his street, he chose a spot for it to be planted in next to the parking area in between the houses where he lives.
What made you sponsor a tree?
In my native Finland we have lots of trees, I miss the forests. I remember in my parents’ garden we had a conifer with the trunk so thick that when I put my arms around it I couldn’t reach my other hand.
There are squirrels around here, and I, would like to see more habitats for them. Hopefully the spot I’ve chosen isn’t too close to any of the buildings.
What type of tree has been chosen?
Cambridge City Council tree officer Matthew has a beautiful tree in mind for this spot:
I think an ornamental Japanese Cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Sunset Boulevard’) would look fantastic here. It’s an elegant tree that will bloom with large shell pink to white flowers in late March, and attract plenty of bees. It also has beautiful leaves that change from bronze red in the spring to green in autumn.
I hope this tree will remind Petri of sunrise on snow and his Finnish homeland.
Giving it a helping hand
Petri has volunteered to water the tree for the first few years – this is vital to making sure it establishes strong roots, and giving it the best chance of survival in this location long term. It’s also a great way to appreciate the sponsored tree as it grows, get some fresh air and maybe have a chat with neighbours.
Young trees like the one that will be planted near Petri’s house need a lot of water during their first 3 years – an average of 50 litres a week during the warmer months. Councils can and do water street trees, but it’s very costly.
Play your part – sponsor a tree
It’s easy to sponsor a tree in your neighbourhood – click the yellow button below to get started and choose the spot where you’d like a tree to be planted, then give us a few details and we’ll do the rest.
