Accolades for Tree Wardens


Tree Wardens have just enjoyed some of the honours in London’s tree ‘oscars’ this National Tree Week. Congratulations, also, to Wakefield.

The 2011 RE:LEAF Tree and Woodland Awards were announced on 1 December at a reception in London’s City Hall.

Jane Plant, who volunteers both as a Tree Warden and a co-ordinator for the London Borough of Merton's network, has won the RE:LEAF 'Acorn' award. This is for the individual who has made a particular contribution to promoting or conserving trees.

Jane has been a very active and committed Tree Warden since the network’s early days in 1992. Since 1999 she has also been joint co-ordinator of the network (with Merton tree officer Dave Lofthouse) juggling her volunteer role with her day job as a freelance landscape architect.

Tree Wardens are also linked to another RE:LEAF award that has gone to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham – the Street Tree Award. 

The borough’s successful street tree planting and aftercare scheme, backed by grants from the Mayor's Street Tree Fund, resulted in well over 1,000 new trees in three years. This was an increase in the borough's total street tree stock of about 25 per cent. A further plus was that the grant award and the consultations for the tree plantings enabled the borough's Tree Warden network to be launched.

Wakefield Tree Wardens played an important role in another success when Newmillerdam village not only won second prize in this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom competition but was also recognised as the Best New Entry.

Tree Wardens have contributed a great deal to the restoration of Newmillerdam Arboretum, which was part of the village’s bid for recognition.

Their latest planting project there – 23 new species of trees – took place during National Tree Week. All the trees have been sponsored by individuals who were invited to take part in the planting.