Groundwork
Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Tameside & Trafford

For the past few years residents in Manchester have played a key role in protecting and celebrating Manchester’s trees, helping to improve the city’s biodiversity in voluntary positions as Manchester Tree Wardens.

Volunteers are recruited, inducted and trained by Groundwork project officer Liz Edwards and the Manchester Tree Warden programme is delivered in partnership between Manchester City Council, with support and advice from staff at Manchester Leisure and Red Rose Forest.

The voluntary scheme is one of the ways in which Manchester City Council creatively fulfill their Tree and Woodland Strategy, by involving residents in tree care across the city. Tree Wardens work together on a variety of tasks and events, sharing an enthusiasm for trees. New volunteers don’t even need to have any existing skills or knowledge; just an interest in helping to get more trees planted and to celebrate the fantastic trees across the city.

Tree Wardens have a valuable role in spotting tree disease and damage early, reporting tree disease and damage in their area, planting trees at events across the city, and sharing knowledge about trees and their management with friends, family and neighbours and are also taking part in a project to register more trees with preservation orders with particular emphasis on the north of the city.

As well as receiving training and support, Tree Wardens become part of a team and can attend networking events, meet Council Tree Officers and receive ongoing advice and guidance.  Manchester Leisure and Manchester Green Spaces Division of Manchester City Council provide up to date information on tree issues and share best practice with the volunteers including information on how residents can get tree work done safely.

Tree Wardens are funded through the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (W.N.F.) through Manchester City Council, as a way of involving people creatively in their Tree Strategy and encouraging volunteering and informal learning. Funding for the programme is in place up until March 2011, after which additional funding needs to be confirmed. Tree Wardens are currently involved in various up and coming events, where new volunteers can sign up to get involved:  Spring Watch on Saturday 5th June, Wythenshawe Park, and Manchester's 3rd Treeathlon on Saturday 2nd October in Heaton Park.

Current Tree Wardens have commented:  “It’s nice to come away feeling like you’ve learnt something new” and: “You don’t need to be a tree expert to become a Tree Warden, you just need to love trees!”