#Mapathon – help map urban tree cover across the UK

banner photo credit: Kieron Doik at Forest Research

Event Information

Access to urban trees in our streets, parks and green spaces varies significantly depending on where you live – levels of tree canopy cover range from 3% to 45% in different towns and cities.

To help understand current levels of tree cover, Forest Research, in partnership with Trees for Cities, Brillianto and the Woodland Trust, are calling for volunteers to help complete the map of ward-level tree canopy cover across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

It's easy to get involved as the project uses a free, online tool called i-Tree Canopy to provides a scientifically robust and consistent approach to estimating canopy cover. It’s quick and easy to use, allowing a canopy cover assessment to be completed for a council ward in around 45 minutes.

This online event will introduce the project and take participants step-by-step through how to get involved and measure the canopy cover in one of the outstanding electoral wards.  By working together, we can complete the map during #urbantreefestival week

Contributors

Kieron Doick is Head of the Urban Forest Research Group (UFoRG) at Forest Research. UFoRG delivers scientific knowledge on UK urban forests: all the trees in and around the urban realm. Kieron’s research interests include urban forest resilience, urban tree valuation, and quantifying the role of urban forests in delivering ecosystem service benefits to society and valuing these services. UFoRG  created the Urban Tree Canopy Cover map and with partners have been working hard to see it completed. @KieronDoickFR

Paul Armstrong is the Public Affairs Manager for the Woodland Trust in Northern Ireland where he leads the trust’s policy and advocacy work to support the creation, protection and restoration of Northern Ireland’s trees and woods. The Woodland Trust are the UK's largest woodland conservation charity. Established in 1972, they have been protecting, planting and restoring woods and trees ever since.Their vision is a UK rich in native woods and trees, for people and wildlife.