Latest news with #TreesForCities
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Heatwaves leave London's urban forest under extreme stress
London has one of the largest urban forests in the world with over 8 million trees on private and public land. But this summer they are under extreme stress due to three heatwaves and a lack of rain.A council in London has now warned people not to sit or congregate under large trees after a rise in the number of falling branches. Harrow Council says there has been an increase of sudden branch drop syndrome, which it says has been made worse by the heatwaves. And experts at the charity Trees for Cities are expecting to see an increase in trees dying or dropping branches as the climate warms. So what can be done to mitigate this? With London expecting to see higher temperatures in the future due to a warming climate, trees are seen as being hugely important for reducing carbon and pollution, while also cooling areas. The mayor of London has vowed to increase the city's tree canopy by 10% by 2050 to combat higher temperatures. But conditions are getting harder for certain native species to thrive. Trees for Cities are a charity that plant and look after trees. We recently joined a team watering young trees in Greenford, west London. Seb Herst is senior urban forest coordinator and says tree maintenance will become increasingly key."Obviously we don't want to give up on all of the native trees that we have in the UK. They support a lot of the local wildlife and species from other places won't support the same wildlife. "So it's a mix of making sure the native species we have are cared for, but also picking the same species except one that's more adapted to the changing climate. So for example taking an oak from southern France that can cope with the climate we are predicting here."He adds that "maintenance is also super important. London has very small tree pits for example, maybe we could have bigger tree pits? We have condensed soils. How can we aerate soil more so it can contain moisture and severe downpours?"Now we are seeing the climate shift so we are going to have to change how we look after trees as well." Mete Coban is the deputy mayor for environment for London. He says climate change is affecting London now."We know the heatwaves are having a huge impact on species and trees."What we need to do is continue to roll out more trees so we can be more resilient to extreme heat, and the impacts of climate change. "But also what we need to do is get the right types of trees and species and make sure we have the right infrastructure in place to protect our trees because ultimately we are going to see more and more hotter temperatures across our city. " Georgie Power is senior urban forest coordinator at the charity Trees for was taking part in the work in Greenford, watering trees and adding bark mulch around the roots to help keep the moisture in. She believes that with rising temperatures we can expect to see more trees under stress."What we think sudden branch drop syndrome is, is when trees are put under extreme heat and drought, it's something similar to self-amputation. So the trees aren't getting enough water into the branches and they're cutting off branches to preserve the rest of the tree."We can see from this summer - April, May, June - they have been absolutely roasting this summer. All the trees have been under huge amounts of pressure." Georgie adds: "We know with climate change we are going to get more increases in temperature overall, because of that we are going to get more of things like trees dying but also the sudden branch drop syndrome as well."We do have to pick different species already with climate change. A good example is with the Alder tree. At the moment, Trees for Cities is planting a lot more Italian Alder because it is more climate resilient and more resilient to droughts and flooding as opposed to the common Alder."So we are already picking trees that are going to be better suited to our climate in the very near future."
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Council tells park visitors not to sit under trees amid fears branches could collapse on people below - days after girl, 7, was crushed to death by falling foliage
Park visitors are being warned to avoid sitting, playing or gathering underneath large trees, a fortnight after a seven-year-old girl died when one collapsed on her. Harrow Council in North West London has issued safety notices after branches were reported to have suddenly fallen at parks in Stanmore, Hatch End and Pinner. Experts believe the branches collapsed due to Sudden Branch Drop Syndrome (SBDS), which can impact trees such as oak, beech and horse chestnut in dry spells. The local authority carried out additional inspections of trees in its parks near play areas and outdoor gyms, with none found to be in a hazardous condition. Despite no injuries being reported in Harrow, officials have put up notices in parks advising visitors not to sit or gather under large trees due to the potential risk. SBDS can impact seemingly-healthy trees on calm days during the summer, meaning it can be very difficult to predict and therefore poses a safety concern. While no exact cause has been determined, some experts believe it could be related to moisture levels or linked to bacteria - and that it is more likely in older trees. Georgie Power from the charity Trees for Cities, which plants and looks after trees, told BBC London: 'What we think it is, is when the trees are put under huge amounts of stress from dehydration and heat, it's something similar to self-amputation. Harrow Council in North West London has issued safety notices warning visitors to parks 'So the trees aren't getting enough water into the branches, and because of that they're cutting off branches to kind of preserve the rest of the tree.' London has more than eight million trees, and Harrow is the only council in the UK known to have issued such a notice. A Harrow Council spokesman told MailOnline: 'Following recent incidents of fallen branches in the borough, we have a started to carry out additional inspections of trees in our parks near play areas and outdoor gyms - none of which are found to be hazardous. 'Public safety is our priority, and as a precaution, notices have been placed in parks advising people not to sit or gather under large trees due to the potential risk of a branch suddenly falling. 'There isn't a known cause for this - heatwaves and changes in tree moisture levels are considered a possible factor. 'Trees are vital to our environment and wildlife, and we remain committed to maintaining and growing our tree stock. They provide better air quality, reduce flooding, and is good for mental health and wellbeing. ' It comes after a shocking tragedy last month at Chalkwell Park in Southend-on-Sea which saw a seven-year-old girl die when a tree collapsed on June 28. The ancient tree encircled by a bench as it appeared in the years before its collapse last month Leonna Ruka, from Dagenham, was killed and four other children were injured after the tree fell while they were enjoying the warm summer weather in the park. Despite members of the public rushing to try and lift the tree and the efforts of emergency services shortly afterwards, Leonna died from the falling object. Four other children were taken to hospital, with a six-year-old girl also in a critical condition - and Essex Police have begun an investigation. In September 2012, a woman was fatally injured when a large tree branch fell on her at Kew Gardens in South West London in what was described by a corner as a 'ghastly accident'. Accounts manager Erena Wilson, 31, from Hanwell, was walking through the Royal Botanical Gardens when the branch crashed down on her. A lawyer representing Kew told an inquest in 2014 that 66million people had visited the gardens over a period of more than 50 years and only one other person had been killed by a tree.
