Looking for help to meet those targets? Whether its green agendas, engaging with local communities, demonstrating the community value of the green spaces you’re managing, or simply improving the treescape of the local area, there’s a growing army of highly motivated volunteers who can help.

Local authorities from Aberdeen to Guernsey, Lowestoft to Pembrokeshire have already found out the value of Tree Wardens. These local tree champions form a national force of volunteers who together commit over 1.8 million hours a year to their communities’ trees – in town, city and countryside.

The Tree Council, which founded the Tree Warden Scheme and co-ordinates it in partnership with National Grid and backed by Communities and Local Government (CLG), is ready and waiting to help set up more local networks.

It can offer support and resources for developing and maintaining a network as part of its national scheme. Its staff can also help with training Tree Wardens, whose core activities include planting and caring for trees in their neighbourhoods and encouraging others to value them, surveying local trees and gathering information about them, and providing early warning of threats to trees.

Thanks to funding from National Grid and CLG, The Tree Council publishes free material for Tree Wardens, including a full-colour newsletter and a regularly updated handbook of practical advice. Then there are the annual regional forums at which Tree Wardens can get inspiration from experts on how topical issues can be translated into action with and for their local communities.

To find out more visit www.treecouncil.org.uk