Tree ‘adoption’ programme rolled out

Residents and community leaders came to show their support of mature trees in a central Auckland park by agreeing to ‘adopt’ them.

Organised by the Urban Tree Alliance New Zealand, the initiative encourages local residents and businesses to adopt trees and agree to take care of them, such as providing extra water over the summer months.

More than 20 participants were present at the opening ceremony in Ponsonby’s Western Park on November 18.

Yellow ribbons were tied around tree trunks to indicate adopted trees.

Event co-organiser Aprilanne Bonar said the event was a way to not only increase people’s awareness of trees but create conversation around the plight of mature trees.

About 100 retailers along Ponsonby Rd agreed to adopt one of the street’s trees, and 180 residents adopted trees in Western Park, she said.

Other festivities included face painting, mediation, yoga and Tai Chi.

Bonar said, while Western Park was the launch event, the adopt-a-tree scheme would be rolled out to other communities.

The Waitemata¯ Local Board supported the adopt-a-tree event with a $1500 community grant.

According to research from The Tree Council, one third of Auckland’s urban canopy has been cut down in the past four years.

Amendments to the Resource Management Act (RMA) lifted blanket tree protection in urban areas in 2012.

Now only scheduled trees, of which there are 6000 in Auckland, are protected.

However, this leaves 90 per cent of trees in residential areas at risk, The Tree Council secretary Mels Barton said.

In 2016, Waitemata¯ Local Board chairwoman Pippa Coom requested Auckland Transport (AT) and Auckland Council create a planting policy and strategy to increase street trees by 25 per cent by 2021.

With residential trees in danger of being cut down and street trees not being planted by default, they were even more important, she said.

Event co-organiser Wendy Gray pointed out even though new trees were being planted as part of the council’s Million Trees project, it would take around 40 to 50 years for them to become net oxygen producers.