Green Up Our Streets
Why start this campaign? Unfortunately we are losing an increasing number of trees and green spaces in urban areas due to land use changes such as housing development, the loss of grass verges and the conversion of front gardens to hardstanding for vehicles.
The protection of soft ground is vital, not just for growing trees but also because soil acts as a carbon storage and it is extremely important for biodiversity.
The Green Up Our Streets campaign encourages people to talk to their neighbours, form a community and decide where there are suitable spaces for new trees in their street or near-by communal areas that they are committed to care for or 'adopt’.
However it’s not just about planting trees, there are multiple ways in which urban areas can become ‘greener’, for example: living walls and green roofs, wildflower verges, hedgehog highways, bird boxes, biodiversity booming gardens, and bee friendly bus stops! There are communal or private garden options for every demographic and location.
The benefits or urban greening are considerable, helping create mutually beneficial relationships between city dwellers and their environment, creating spaces that:
Are good for people’s physical and mental health by increasing air quality, reducing noise pollution, promoting a sense of calm and wellbeing
Improve the environmental value of urban areas by promoting biodiversity and pollination, creating homes for wildlife, increasing carbon capture and storage, reducing climate change
Increase the economic value of urban areas by improving visual beauty, reducing flood risk, discouraging crime and anti-social behaviour, increasing property prices
“This project is beneficial to the community but will also deliver on the councils Environment and Climate Strategy at a community level. This is encouraging to see as the natural environment is so closely linked to the community’s general health and wellbeing.”
Cllr Stimson, Lead Member for Climate Change, Sustainability, Parks and Countryside, RBWM.
EVENTS
Find out about future events
If you would like to volunteer your time and join an organised community action event to benefit the environment, check our events page today! We guarantee you’ll meet like-minded people and learn about how you can contribute to a greener future.
RESOURCES
What you can do for your community
Need a helping hand to get started? Then visit our resources pages for information and downloadable guides about ‘how to’ live more sustainably, ‘Green Up Your Street’ or even lead your own community project.
Feeling inspired to do more?
Green Earth Plan is all about community action and we can only bring about positive environmental change with your support, either as volunteers or as leaders of projects in your local area.
So if you would like to get involved in any way, shape or form, we can’t wait to hear from you!