Can you cut 1 Tonne of carbon pollution out of your life?
Take the challengeYou Wooden believe it, trees are sending emails.
In 2013 the City of Melbourne introduced the Urban Forest initiative, to help educate the public about some of the 70,000 trees maintained by the city, and the issues they face. One of the niftier features of the campaign was the "email this tree" component, in which you can locate a tree on the map, check out its stats, and then shoot it a quick email.
[Image: http://melbourneurbanforestvisual.com.au/]
The program was initially set in place so that residents could report safety issues, like broken branches. But since the trees have been given a voice, or rather, an inbox, locals have taken to addressing them on a more personal level. Speaking to The Atlantic, Chair of Melbourne's Environment Portfolio, Councillor Arron Wood, says that people began communicating with the trees over a range of topics - from exam procrastination, quick hello's, the political environment, to sweet nothings. In some cases, the trees spoke back.
[Text courtesy of The Atlantic]
[Text courtesy of The Atlantic]
[Text courtesy of The Atlantic]
[Text courtesy of The Atlantic]
[Text courtesy of The Atlantic]
[Text courtesy of The Atlantic]
[Text courtesy of The Atlantic]
[Text courtesy of The Atlantic]
Trees produce oxygen, shade, attract customers to your business, and reduce salinity and soil erosion. But tree expert, Dr Greg Moore, from the university of Melbourne, believes Australian trees are doing it tough.
Talking to Gardening Australia, he said, "They are shedding leaves, and some have shed limbs - two symptoms that are easy to see...Other signs of stress include cacks in the bark - where bark is lifting - and a dark coloured resin seeps from a wound".
Dr. Moore believes that we should be doing more (excuse the pun) than sending sweet nothings to the trees we know and love.“Trees only need one, two, or perhaps three good water soakings over summer to get them through that difficult period. People are the custodians of our trees - whether they're in gardens or streets and parks. They're resilient, hardy, that's why they've survived for so long…. if we just give them a little tender loving care they'll be there for future generations”- Dr. Greg Moore
[Image: anpsa.org.au]
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