🌱 Rooted in Community
We’ve got trees - and we want you to help decide where they go!
Rooted in Community is your chance to shape greener, cooler spaces where you live. From May until the end of September, you can pin spots on our map where you'd like to see trees, shrubs, or plants added. We'll be planting in October - the perfect time for new roots to settle in.
Trees do more than brighten up a space. They provide shade, improve air quality, support local wildlife, and even help keep neighbourhoods cooler. In fact, research by Friends of the Earth found that parts of cities with more greenery were up to 5°C cooler than areas without it!
We'll be planting trees around 6-10 feet tall on communal Settle-owned land, depending on the suitability of the suggested spots.
How to take part
- Open our interactive map here 🗺️
- Drop a pin - Choose a spot where you think a tree or shrub would make a difference!
- Tell us why❓- You can add a short note to explain why you've chosen that spot. Is it sunny? Shady? Near a bench or play area? We'd love to know!
- Post your pin! 📌
That's it! Once you've dropped your pin and shared your thoughts, our Estates team will review all suggestions and use them to plan our planting for October.
You can suggest as many locations as you like - and feel free to check back later to see what others have suggested too!
We’ll choose the best plants for each location based on size, surroundings, and the needs of people and nature. Some of the trees we're considering include:
🌸 Cherry (Prunus Sp.) - Spring blossoms for pollinators, summer fruit for birds
Fun fact: Cherry trees only blossom for a short period of time, so diverse varieties with different flowering times are often planted together to prolong the blossoming period!
🌳 Silver Birch (Betula pendula) - Great for bees and birds
Fun fact: In North America, a species of woodpecker called a sapsucker 'taps' birch trees in spring, meaning it pecks into the bark and drinks the sap. European Wildlife Trackers may have also observed them doing the same right here in the UK!
🌿 Hawthorn (Crataegus Monogyna) - Supports butterflies, birds and insects
Fun fact: Some hawthorn trees can live for hundreds of years - a few have even been recorded at over 400 years old! Mature trees can also grow up to 15 metres tall.
💧 Italian Alder (Alnus cordara) - Loves damp soil and helps improve it
Fun fact: The green dye from the flowers of an alder were used to colour and camouflage the clothes of outlaws like Robin Hood, and was thought to also colour the clothes of fairies!
🍐 Ornamental Pear (Pyrus calleryana) - Fruit for birds, and blossoms for bees
Fun fact: There are over 3,000 varieties of pear grown around the world!
🌲 Fastigate Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata') - Offers shade and shelter for nesting birds
Fun fact: The Romans used hornbeam to make their chariots because of the strength of the wood. The hornbeam has the hardest wood of any tree in Europe.
Ready to get planting?
Pin your ideal locations on the map and help us root these trees in the heart of your community.
More on Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth is a leading environmental organisation working to create a sustainable future. They fight for climate justice through grassroots campaigns and legal action. Whether that's using the law to stop fossil fuel projects, or pushing for greater rights to protect nature and the environment.
If you'd like to find out how you can get involve locally with Friends of the Earth, you can get in touch with them here!
