Our trees are facing unprecedented environmental change, over and above existing threats from pollution and land use change. A number of new tree diseases and pests have impacted our trees in recent years; the horse chestnut leaf miner, acute oak decline, and red band needle blight to name a few. While public funding is reducing and university research limited, the public can help and make a real difference.

The public will be asked to “Help care for the UK’s trees” in three easy stages. Adopt a tree:- First ‘adopt’ a tree or a number of trees. It could be a tree in your garden or street, one you pass every day on your way to work or when you walk the dog, or your favourite tree that you picnic under in the summer. Survey:- Observe and record changes in the health of your adopted tree. Results:- Data will be shared with research partners and the results made visible on the TreeWatch web map.