Volunteers plant 1,800 street trees across Wrenhaven in a single weekend

More than 700 volunteers planted 1,800 young trees along streets in eleven Wrenhaven neighbourhoods over the weekend, the largest single planting effort in the city's history. Small teams worked through drizzle on Saturday and bright sunshine on Sunday, digging pits that had been prepared in advance by council crews and staking each sapling against the wind.

The trees, mostly lime, field maple, rowan and hornbeam, were chosen for their ability to cope with salty coastal air and limited root space. Each is around two and a half metres tall and has been fitted with a watering bag that releases moisture slowly over several days.

Shade where it is most needed

The planting focused on streets with the least tree cover, which are often the warmest in summer. A mapping survey by the University of Wrenhaven found that parts of Eastmoor and Netherby have less than five per cent canopy cover, compared with more than a quarter in leafier districts near Kestrel Park. On hot afternoons, pavement temperatures in the barest streets were measured several degrees higher.

Annelise Kerr, the council's tree officer, said the aim was to raise canopy cover across the city to 20 per cent within 15 years. She said the first three summers would be the most critical for the young trees and asked residents to help with watering during dry spells.

Planting a tree takes twenty minutes. Looking after it for the next three years is the part that really counts.

To encourage that, every tree has been adopted by a household or business nearby, who will receive a reminder by text message when the weather is dry. Primary schools in Eastmoor have also adopted trees close to their gates, and pupils will measure their growth each term as part of science lessons.

Callum Strachan, who planted four trees on his street in Netherby with his two children, said it was the first time he had spoken to some of his neighbours. "We spent the morning digging together and ended up having lunch in someone's front garden," he said. The council plans a second planting weekend in March, with another 1,200 trees earmarked for streets in Northfield and Bramley Cross.