Ipswich Tree Warden Network

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, focussing mostly on tree planting and maintenance across the town. 

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 coordinated by the Ipswich Tree Warden Coordinator, a member of the Wildlife Team at Ipswich Borough Council with guidance from The Tree Council.

Activities

Some of the activities include:

• Planting trees
• Pruning and maintaining our community orchards
• Helping maintain our woodlands (coppicing, deadhedging, tree maintenance etc.)
• Tree-L-C sessions to maintain young trees (i.e. adjusting ties, replacing tree guards etc.)
• Attending wildlife events to talk about trees and volunteering.
• Identifying damaged trees and areas needing maintenance
• Growing trees from locally sourced seed
• Removing tree guards and pens
• Helping maintain other wildlife habitats such as meadows, ponds, reedbeds etc.

Tree Wardens are provided with relevant on the ground training such as how to plant a tree, as well as training materials from Suffolk Tree Warden Network. 

Projects we have been involved in

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
• 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
• Planting a tree from the Queen’s Jubilee ‘Tree of Trees’ in Holywells Park and an avenue to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II at Murray Park.
• Planted 12 new Coronation Community Orchards and 2 Golden Orchards.

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 Coordinator by emailing ipswichtreewardens@ipswich.gov.uk or calling 01473 433998.