THE CITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEND E-MAILS TO TREES

Melbourne has more than 70,000 trees, and each one of them has an email address.

It began as a simple concept. As part of the effort to revive its urban forest, in 2013 the Melbourne city council decided to digitally map all of the trees in the city, assigning each of them an ID number and making the interactive map available online. And to make it possible for local residents to report concerns about individual trees, like excessive leaf loss or dropping branches, each tree was assigned an email address as well.

The original goal was to allow residents to easily report issues, but the response was unexpected – and heartwarming. Instead of just damage reports, people began sending heartfelt messages of gratitude, complimenting the trees for their beauty, shade, and companionship. Many shared stories of how the trees had helped them during storms or offered peaceful moments in the city.

This initiative helped foster a deeper appreciation for urban trees.