New Hackney tree map launched as planting season finishes
An online map of Hackney showing more than 45,000 Council maintained trees has launched.
The tree map has been compiled to help residents find out more information about trees on their street - listing species, common name and age.
It was created by the Council’s arboricultural officers and its GIS (geographic information system) mapping team.
The map does not represent trees on private land, unless they are protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). It will be updated as new trees are planted and surveyed.
The Council has planted 500 street trees this planting season, concentrating on London Fields, De Beauvoir, Stoke Newington and Woodberry Down, and focussing on treeless and low tree streets. Over the past 4 years over 5800 new street trees have been planted across all 21 Wards within Hackney, with thousands more in our parks and green spaces.
Recent trees planted include native species such as Field Maple, Cherry and Birch, as well as carefully chosen tree species from further afield such as Sweet Gums, Tulip Trees and Magnolias. These have been selected for their ability to withstand changing climate conditions, such as lower summer rainfall and increased temperatures.
With more than 130 different species of trees planted on Hackney streets, I’ve been following the development of our new tree map with enormous interest. It’s a very user-friendly design: just zoom in to any tree on the map to discover the species, and whether it’s mature, young or newly planted.
It’s the perfect way to explore and learn more about Hackney’s trees in what has been described as an urban arboretum, with rare trees not seen outside of Kew Gardens.
There is a growing list of tree carers and champions in Hackney and we’re really grateful to everyone who helped the Council to look after newly planted trees in the intensely hot and dry weather last year, and would love to hear from anyone keen to help this year too.
After completing delivery of an intensive planting programme of more than 5,000 new street trees, Hackney’s dedicated tree officers have continued their work to increase street cooling canopy cover, making our streets greener, more interesting and more beneficial to residents and to urban wildlife. We are really proud to have planted another 500 trees this season.
We’re passionate about greening the grey in Hackney - replacing previously grey areas with trees, planting and rain gardens to help create a greener, healthier borough. We want to share information about the trees we’ve planted and ensure that every resident is able to benefit from a closer connection to nature.
This new tree map is an amazing achievement - showcasing the variety of species we have in Hackney.
If you’d like to join Hackney’s community of tree carers and tree champions or just want to let the Council know about any concerns you have about the health of a tree on your street, please email streettrees@hackney.gov.uk.
To view the new tree map in Hackney, visit: https://map2.hackney.gov.uk/maps/trees/index.html