We need to plant the next generation of trees
Bill Gibb chats to David Elliott about the charity that is – quite literally – branching out to enhance city environments.
THEIR mention makes many think of the countryside, big forests or pretty little woods. However, trees are increasingly being planted not in rural idylls, but in bustling, populated urban centres.
Charity Trees For Cities is ensuring that the “greening” of big population areas is bringing a host of benefits, both locally and globally.
It’s making cities more pleasant places to spend time in for residents, revitalising forgotten spaces, inspiring the next generation to connect with nature and helping the environment.
Trees for Cities is the only UK charity working at a national and international scale to improve lives by planting trees in cities.
And while it has currently planted over 1.1 million of them, CEO David Elliott says it started, fittingly enough, at grass roots level.
“It all began in 1993 with four friends who enjoyed two things: partying and trees,” David says.
“They threw some parties and raised money to plant some trees. Initially it was in a bit of a guerrilla fashion around London in quite an unstructured way.
“They realised the concept was really popular and that people wanted to get more involved and do more greening activities.
“At the time, trees and cities weren’t seen in the same light, as historically trees were viewed as more of a rural thing.
“But in recent years there has been a realisation that our urban environments are so vital as most of us now live in towns and cities.”
Charity status soon followed, and such was the growth and interest from elsewhere that what had been Trees For London became Trees For Cities and, literally, branched out.
There have been phases in the past where trees were planted, with many of those in cities being the legacy of the Victorians and Edwardians.
It’s that greenery, which has been lost through development, that needs replacing.
“We need to plant the next generation of trees,” David explains. “And there is so much evidence now about what trees and green spaces bring to urban environments.
“They absorb air pollutants and also reduce flood risk in cities – which is an ever-growing problem – by stopping rainwater reaching hard surfaces quickly.
“With our cities getting hotter, they provide vital shade. The centre of cities can be five or six degrees warmer than the outside, so they have a cooling effect.”
With traffic and the general hubbub of
21st-century life, trees can also mask noise and create a calm and peaceful oasis.
All that comes on top of the impact of biodiversity and providing habitats for wildlife. With loss of traditional habitats in rural areas, many creatures are finding cities safe havens.
Obviously 2020 was a challenging year for most charities, and some of the crucial corporate involvement Trees For Cities relies on was unable to take place.
“Hopefully we will be in a better situation this year, so we can get the trees planted.
“At the weekends we might have five hundred people coming to a big tree-planting event, so we might have to look at different ways of doing things.”
But David says the time was used wisely to plan for the future, and he feels exciting times lie ahead.
“I think environmentalists can focus on the doom and gloom, but there is much to be positive about.
“In many towns and cities the amount of tree cover has been increasing in recent years despite all the development. As we understand more about the benefits greenery brings, we’ll see even more of that.
“There is also a lot of government strategy about protecting the environment and increasing green spaces, so we’ll hope to see the impact of that.”
While office duties take up much of David’s time, he loves joining the rest of the staff and volunteers for big weekend planting projects.
“There is nothing better than getting out and doing a bit of planting,” David adds.
“It’s a fun family activity and it’s been great to get my kids out planting as well.” ■
Find out more at www. treesforcities.org or by calling 020 7587 1320.