We have signed up to the Tree Warden Scheme, an initiative led by the Tree Council (a national registered charity). Locally it will be delivered by us working with SWISCo and Groundwork South.

Tree Wardens plant, protect and promote their local trees. No training or experience in tree management is needed – just a love of trees and a few hours to spare.

Tree Wardens are organised into local groups. Each group is managed by a co-ordinator and is autonomous, meeting regularly to decide what they would like to focus on. Some of the projects Tree Warden groups have done include:

• Arranging local tree planting days
• Pruning, watering and giving vital aftercare to local trees after planting
• Working with local authorities to plant and care for our precious street trees
• Rejuvenating local woodlands in need of management
• Growing trees from seed
• Surveying and monitoring trees and hedgerows
• Raising funds and identifying suitable land for local tree planting projects
• Going into schools to talk to young people about the value of trees.

Tree Wardens will be encouraged to take part in our local i-tree survey and although some knowledge of trees would be preferable, support and guidance will be provided by SWISCo tree officers and partners for the project Treeconomics and Hi-Line.

The i-tree project aims to quantify the eco-system benefits of the trees that we have in Torbay.

It will not only cover our park, street and open space trees, but also account for those trees in private and non-council owned land in Torbay.

Eco-system benefits include shade, rainfall interception, support of wildlife, storing carbon, and tackling pollution.

If you are interested please email TreeWarden@swisco.co.uk with your name, contact details, and which areas of Torbay for which you would be interested in becoming a Tree Warden.

Benefits of tree planting:

• Absorbing and storing carbon emissions helping us to tackle the climate emergency
• Improving air quality
• helping keep our homes cool
• provide timber, wood and fibre products
• offer opportunities for people to reconnect with nature
• provide spaces to improve health and wellbeing
• help to reduce flood risk
• reduce the costs of water treatment

i-Tree report 2022

One project local Tree Warden volunteers have helped with in Torbay is the i-Tree survey which looked at tree canopy cover in Torbay and how this compares today to when the previous report was done in 2011. You can read the latest findings at Treeconomics reports