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In 2013, Urban Forest Visual designed a system where citizens can write complaints about the condition of the trees, using individual email addresses assigned to each of them, only to have it taken over by citizens who used the service to write love letters to their green friends.
According to World Bulletin, 77 000 trees have been ID’d and can be monitored using the Urban Forest Visual site. Each tree has an email address with a database, which includes a full history of their life expectancy and species.
The council staff responds to the emails by building awareness of climate change in Melbourne and some reply with serious and witty responses. The reason the City of Melbourne has gone through incredible lengths for this initiative is that almost quarter of its trees are set to die. According to the Gulf Today, the trees will pass away by the end of the decade and this figure will rise to nearly 40% by 2030.
Here is an email and response seen on the Herald Sun:
An emailer says, “I am stuck inside and am so jealous of you soaking up the sun. You seem to be having a ball out there.”
The Chinese elm tree responds: “Sorry that you are stuck inside. I am really enjoying stretching my stomata and giving my chloroplasts a good workout. I spent the weekend well hydrated and preparing for the summer ahead.”
Isn’t this adorable?! Doesn’t this melt your wintery heart?
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