The Colchester Woodland and Biodiversity Project

Join residents from across the city who are working together to develop a legacy of a greener Colchester for future generations.

What Tree Guardians do

Our Tree Guardians are developing greener places by caring for newly planted areas of woodland as they grow.

Becoming a Tree Guardian is a great way to take pride in your local neighbourhood and bring family, friends and neighbours together.

How to become a Tree Guardian

Tree Guardians can be individuals or groups of up to 10 people including family members or friends. You can pledge to do as little as 15 minutes a week or more if you prefer.

We will provide you with your own hi-vis jacket bearing the ‘Tree Guardian’ logo and all the necessary equipment, including bamboo canes, tree guards and a wooden mallet.

Places we need Tree Guardians

We need Tree Guardians for:

• Bergholt Road
• Great Horkesley
• Greenstead
• Lexden
• Monkwick
• Old Heath
• St Annes
• St Johns
• Stanway
• Wivenhoe

Register your interest

If you are interested in becoming a Tree Guardian, you can register your interest with our Parks and Countryside team.

Email: parks@colchester.gov.uk

Meet some of our Tree Guardians

Meet Michele, Sherlock and Aurora

Michele met Nick Day, our Woodland and Open Spaces Project Officer, at Spring Lane Park after she emailed him to let him know that trees in the area had been vandalised. When Nick arrived, Michele was already cleaning up the debris and together they cleared the site. Michele and her children, Sherlock and Aurora, now visit the trees to keep an eye on a regular basis.

Meet Iwona

Iwona lives near the Bergholt Road open space site. She was pleased to see council officer Nick Day caring for newly planted trees at her local park and offered to get involved. Her young daughter was keen to help, too - she took Nick’s wooden mallet off him there and then and was ready to get to work. Nick has delivered canes and guards to support Iwona as a Tree Guardian.

Meet Tilly and Michael

Tilly and her family live close to the Pondfield Open Space site. Tilly and her mum met council officer Nick Day and Wayne Setford from Together We Grow when they were planting with a group of volunteers and offered to help look after the trees. Since then Nick has dropped off a supply of bamboo canes and rabbit guards and a wooden mallet to knock the canes in with. Tilly is also a regular litter picker, too.

Michael lives close to the Greenstead Slopes site. Michael was walking his dog when he met Nick Day and told him about how he had been replacing any canes that had been pulled out and standing up any trees that had been knocked over. We are now delighted to have his help as one of our Tree Guardians and supply him with canes, guards and a wooden mallet so he can continue to care for his local trees.