Redbridge’s ‘Adopt a Tree Pit’ is back and your whole street is invited to get involved this year – Applications now open!

Redbridge’s much loved ‘Adopt a Tree Pit’ is back, and for the first-time communities can team up to ‘adopt’ a whole street of tree pits to make their neighbourhood a Pollinator Pathway for bees, birds, and other wildlife.

Applications for the green scheme are now open, and are part of Redbridge Council’s community gardening initiative giving local people the chance to show trees on their street some love, and boost biodiversity in Redbridge.

Tree pits are the soil area at the base of trees, which are perfect for planting. This year you can apply to adopt your very own tree pit, or you can team up with your neighbours to adopt all the tree pits on your street, along with any other nearby plant growth areas, to become a Pollinator Pathway road.

A Pollinator Pathway is a corridor of pesticide free plants that connects different areas of habitat, encouraging pollinators such as bees to travel between them to access the food and shelter that they need.

By adopting a tree pit – or a whole street of tree pits under the Pollinator Pathway scheme – and planting wildflower seeds, you can create your very own mini garden on your doorstep to help local wildlife thrive.

The boroughwide initiative is also a fun and interactive way to bring neighbours together, create new friendships, and make streets more attractive and colourful.

Karen Myers, from Wanstead, took part in a trial Pollinator Pathways scheme run by the Council this year. She said: “There have been so many benefits to joining up to the Pollinator Pathways scheme. One of the biggest is that there are no chemical weed sprays in our street, which is great for wildlife and the environment. I also got to know my neighbours so much better, as we have all enjoyed working together to create beautiful nature-friendly tree pits. I'm already looking forward to next year."

Applications are now open for both ‘Adopt a Tree Pit’ and ‘Pollinator Pathways’ 2024 and must be made by midnight Sunday 31 December. For more details or to apply visit: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/our-streets/adopt-a-tree-pit-and-pollinator-pathways/

If you applied to adopt a tree pit last year you will have to re-apply again this year as all adoptions last for 12 months only.

Redbridge Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Jo Blackman, said: “This year ‘Adopt a Tree Pit’ has grown to encourage local people to come together and adopt whole streets of tree pits. In doing so, communities can create pollinator pathways that help local wildlife, especially the bee population, thrive - so get your applications in and help get Redbridge’s tree pits blooming!”

Local people can also get involved in looking after newly planted trees on their street by unofficially adopting them. New trees are planted in the borough between November and March, with a blue label attached asking for help with watering in the summer months when they may need an extra drink. For more information go to: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/our-streets/adopt-and-water-a-tree/

‘Adopt a Tree Pit’ and ‘Pollinator Pathways’ is part of the council’s boroughwide campaign for a greener Redbridge, and one of a number of projects led by the borough’s Our Streets Strategy, which focuses on social action and working with local communities to keep Redbridge’s street scene green, clean, safe and attractive.  For more information about the borough’s work under ‘Our Streets’ visit: www.redbridge.gov.uk/our-streets/

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