A public Zoom meeting on looking after street trees will be held on Sunday 14 10-10.30 am, writes Dom Eliot of Street Trees for Living. Meetings will be weekly until further notice, and links posted to the Street Trees website (https://www.streettreesforliving.org/).
Zoom meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79696197116?pwd=Obw_K_zaoR-z8JVueeIr2ZshUL-n12.1
Please start/continue watering small dry street trees near you
ANY DRY TREE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG ONES, NEED 20 LITRES, 2/3 TIMES A WEEK FOR NOW, REGARDLESS OF RAIN. IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE TOO MUCH.
HINTS TO HELP
ONE Use phone/calendar reminders!
TWO Recycled “grey” water (NO bleach please) is fine!
THREE Put a picture of a watering-can and tree in your window to spread the word!
If you’re willing to water trees, or donate water, tell your neighbours, and us, HERE.
More than 300 trees to be planted across Lewisham in 2022
Street Trees for Living hopes to be planting more than 300 trees in Lewisham this year after planting 294 across the borough in 2021. More than 30 of the trees were in Ladywell.
Street Trees, which was previously a project of the Brockley Society but is now an independent charity, has worked since 2012 in partnership with Lewisham council to plant street trees in our neighbourhoods.
Xanthe Mosley, chair of the charity, says: “Street trees play a huge role in improving urban areas by enhancing well-being, and … helping to address environmental issues such as flooding, heat stress and loss of biodiversity and mitigating local pollution.” https://www.streettreesforliving.org/benefits-of-street-trees
Over the last 8-9 years more than 160 trees have been planted in Ladywell with the help of the charity.
Costs vary but on average each tree planting will cost about £1,000 once administration and contractor costs are taken into account.
If local residents want a tree in their street “we ask them to contribute £350 per tree. We also ask them to take on responsibility for watering for at least 2 years,” says the charity.
Madeleine Tuinstra, who coordinates the area representatives of the charity, says planting a diversity of street trees “is really important to minimise risk of disease and failure.”
Street trees have to be quite tough to survive urban street conditions with extremes of heat, periods of drought, storms and heavy down pours.
“Our area reps work closely with residents and street reps to select the right tree for each location.”
Cherry trees were popular in the past, but now “we plant many different varieties such as Honey Locusts, Silver Birch, Magnolias and even Persian Silk Trees.”
Last year 167 trees were planted in residential streets across all borough wards; 77 were planted as part of a schools project; and Lewisham Blossoms, a pilot project with the National Trust, will see another 41 on housing estates and at hospitals.
If you and/or your neighbours are interested in new trees on the streets you can let us know here on the Street Trees for Living website.