Something Positive: Australians send emails to trees in 'Tree-Mail' project designed to improve urban green space | Why This Matters

Why this story matters: While it may not dominate headlines, this story reflects meaningful change in action.

Quick summary: This story highlights recent developments related to space, showing how constructive action can lead to meaningful results.

You and your overflowing inbox are not alone; 70,000 trees in Melbourne, Australia also have their own email accounts.

The city’s Urban Forest and Ecology team created these emails to connect to an interactive digital map called the Urban Forest Visual, allowing passersby to click on any tree in Melbourne to find information about its genus and age.

Each tree’s accompanying email address encourages members of the public to easily inform the city’s experts of any trees that need attention or are visibly declining in health.

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A great way to get the community involved, many have also begun to send the trees fan mail.

“Hi Tree,” one emailer wrote. “Keep growing and keep on treeing!”

The interactive trend started as part of the city’s Urban Forest Strategy, aimed at adapting the city to climate change, lowering city temperatures, creating healthier ecosystems, and engaging community members.

And folks will have plenty more new tree friends to email in the coming years; the city’s plan outlines a strategy to increase canopy cover from 22% to 40% by 2040.

It is estimated over 10,000 emails have been sent since the project’s inception. They range from complimentary and brief, to personal and poetic.

“Over the past year I have cycled by you each day and want you to know how much joy you give me,” one message, to a large Rose Gum, says.

“No matter the weather or what is happening around you, you are strong, elegant and beautiful. I wanted you to know.”

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A version of this article was originally published in The 2024 Plants Edition of the Goodnewspaper.

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Header image by Jeremy Gunawan on Unsplash

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