Ipswich Tree Warden Network is a group of volunteers passionate about supporting trees in Ipswich. This is a flexible volunteer led scheme, with no set volunteer hours and the tree warden coordinator facilitates volunteer led projects they are passionate about. This could be anything relating to trees, from organising tree themed events to planting trees, engaging schools with their local trees to growing trees at home!
About the National Scheme
The Tree Warden Network, co-ordinated by The Tree Council are local tree champions who plant, look after, and stand up for the trees in their patch. The Tree Warden Scheme started life in 1990, inspired by Leicestershire and East Sussex Groups of local people who wanted to make a positive difference to trees in their community and from there The Tree Council created the national scheme.
Tree Wardens plant, protect and promote their local trees. No prior training or experience in tree management is needed – just a love of trees and a few hours to spare. Basic training will be provided by the Tree Council and The Ipswich Tree Warden Network.
Every year, tree wardens plant and care for thousands of trees and dedicate thousands of hours of volunteer time to the care of the trees in their community.
Tree wardens are part of local networks co-ordinated in a variety of ways including by local authorities, parish councils, independent and other associated groups. Networks operate independently from each other deciding what the priorities are for the trees in their area, allotting them to share their unique skills and interests in the most effective way.
The Tree Council manages this national programme and works to develop and support networks across the country.
More information about the scheme.
About the Ipswich Tree Warden Network
The Ipswich Tree Warden Network (ITWN), launched in June 2022, is a dedicated network of tree volunteers who focus on all things trees within the boundaries of Ipswich. We also work collaboratively with the wider Suffolk Tree Warden Network and other local wildlife groups on wider projects in the area.
The Ipswich Tree Warden Network is co-ordinated by the Ipswich Tree Warden Co-Ordinator, a member of the Wildlife Team at Ipswich Borough Council with guidance from The Tree Council.
Activities
Some of the activities include:
- Planting trees
- Watering young trees in summer to ensure the survival
- Helping maintain our woodlands
- Running tree themed activities with schools
- Organising tree events like guided walks and tree identification
- Identify damaged and diseased trees
A few events and training opportunities will be organised each year by the tree warden co-ordinator and projects will be offered for tree wardens to get involved in i.e. tree planting, growing trees from seed etc. Tree Wardens are also encouraged to find tree related projects they are passionate about.
Recent projects
Here are some examples of recent projects the tree wardens have worked on:
- Identifying tree grilles which need removing on town centre trees
- Collecting local tree seeds and growing trees at home
- Identifying places to plant trees
- Completed orchard pruning training to take over the management of community orchards in Ipswich
- Collaborating with schools across Ipswich to identify places to plant trees in their school grounds plus improve access to nature for young people
- Planting a tree from the Queen’s Jubilee ‘Tree of Trees’ in Holywells Park
- Planting trees in Holywells Park and Pipers Vale with support from the Ravenswood Wildlife Group
Volunteer information
No previous experience is needed to join the Ipswich Tree Warden Network, and full training will be provided. For details about the roles, please refer to the following documents:
- Ipswich Tree Warden Leader Volunteer (Word Document)
- Ipswich Tree Warden Volunteer (Word Document)
- Ipswich Tree Warden Application Form (Word Document)
You can also find important information about our policies and guidelines:
- Ipswich Tree Warden GDPR Statement (PDF)
- Ipswich Tree Warden Code of Conduct (PDF)
- Ipswich Tree Warden 'Do's and Don'ts' (PDF)
If you’re interested in becoming a tree warden, please complete the Ipswich Tree Warden Application Form and sign the Code of Conduct. Email the completed forms to: ipswichtreewardens@ipswich.gov.uk
For any questions about the roles or the project, contact the Ipswich Tree Warden Co-ordinator by emailing ipswichtreewardens@ipswich.gov.uk or calling 01473 433998.