Summary
This project’s aim is to provide overview guidance on designing and running an i-Tree Eco project and alongside that a people survey of local community members.
These two sets of guidance provide the information you need to understand your local treescape its canopy cover, tree species and the ecosystem services they deliver as well as the perspectives and attitudes of the local population to that treescape.
By treescape we mean trees in any location from trees in the street, along roads, in parks as well as in woodlands. By combining a tree and people survey a holistic view can be obtained that can support local authority and other stakeholder decision-making.
Research Objectives
This project’s objectives are to:
- develop and test an approach to incorporating a people survey as part of an i-Tree Eco project
- develop a people survey that captures the social and cultural value of treescapes and questions on the perspectives and attitudes of local communities towards their local treescapes
- develop guidance on:
- how to undertake an i-Tree Eco project
- how to undertake a people survey
- identify approaches to integrate the people survey into i-Tree Eco projects to provide a more holistic understanding of local treescapes.
Findings and Recommendations
i-Tree Eco tree survey
The attached guide for the i-Tree Eco survey (i-Tree Eco Sample-Plot Projects: A guide to planning, designing, and delivering a sample-plot project) has been designed to facilitate an increase in i-Tree Eco projects across the United Kingdom by enabling project leaders to conduct their own, through the provision of guidance, support, and experience. Timescales, considerations, and suggested equipment for the planning and preparation of projects are detailed.
i-Tree Eco People survey
The attached guide for the people survey provides information on how to conduct a survey of a local community to understand more about how they value their local treescape particularly in terms of social and cultural values. It also captures perspectives on the benefits of trees, preferences for the types of trees they would like to see, and whether people in a community have or are willing to take action for trees. The guidance also has a question bank that local authorities and other stakeholders can use or adapt and add to according to their needs.
Latest Update
As part of the overall research we are currently exploring with Local Authorities how they value their treescapes and what evidence they draw on to identify these values and how this impacts their decision making.
Our Involvement
Forest Research is leading this research project and working in collaboration with the Tree Council, University of York, Fera.
Downloads
Funding & Partners
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Funded by Defra under the Future Proofing Plant Health Programme