Emergency Chiswick Tree Adoption Scheme Launched

Abundance say newly planted trees at risk because of dry weather

Watering trees in Chiswick. Picture: Abundance

A scheme is being launched to persuade Chiswick residents to adopt a tree in the area to care for it during the current spell of dry weather

Local environmental charity Abundance London has started their Chiswick Tree Adoption Scheme as an emergency response to the situation. They say over the last few months 95 new trees have been planted around Chiswick.

However, because of the lack of rainfall and many of the trees were planted too late in the season some will not survive without extra care.

Karen Liebreich of Abundance London says, “We should all be aware of the importance of trees in fighting the effects of climate change and as pollution mitigators. Last year Hounslow, along with many other London Boroughs, declared a climate emergency and tree planting was declared an important plank of this strategy. In addition to their contractual obligations to replace dead or removed trees, Hounslow Highways stepped up and offered to plant an extra tree around the borough for each of their 140 members of staff.

“That’s the good news. A lovely selection of new trees, including hornbeams, liquidambar, tulip trees, sweetgum, field maples and whitebeam, has been planted.

“The bad news is that the planting took too many months and was only completed in mid-May, during a long spring drought that has so far lasted three months. This was the driest May since 1896, with only 10mm of rain, following on the sunniest April ever.

“In theory Hounslow Highways will water each tree. In practice, they will not get round the trees in time as there are simply too many planted out of season, it is too dry and of course there is a pandemic on so they have other stuff to do too.

“We can either wring our hands, blame ‘the council’ and watch the young trees die, or we can step up, roll up our sleeves and fill our watering cans. Abundance invites you to read this list, find the tree nearest your house and sign up to keep it alive.”

The instructions for watering trees are as follows. A new tree needs 2 bucketfuls of water (20 litres) every couple of days if it’s hot and sunny. In early autumn you can start to decrease and then stand down in late autumn. If there is a little plastic water channel to the roots, try and get the water into the hole. Pour slowly, imagine you are rain.

Karen says any amount of watering will help but a serious effort is required if the survival rate of tress is to be increased significantly.

You are asked to look at the list below, find your nearest tree, probably close to your home so you can access water, and contact Abundance. If more than one person adopts the same tree Abundance will put you in touch and you can share parental duties.

They will try and organise some kind of voucher/incentive scheme, but believe the best incentive for people to take part will be a live tree.

The list of trees is below. There is a form on this page through which you can volunteer to adopt a particular tree.

This page is sponsored by Express Property Services who support community initiatives in Chiswick

June 1, 2020