Tree sponsorships - an overview

What do cities like Aachen, Berlin, Bonn, Frankfurt am Main, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Leipzig, Mannheim, Nuremberg and Weimar have in common?

You all have Tree sponsorships.

The forms of these tree sponsorships are different: some cities have donation sponsorships, others watering sponsorships, still others tree disc sponsorships. And some cities have all shapes at the same time.
The main reason for this trend is the increasing need for watering of city trees. Due to the longer dry periods and higher average temperatures, urban trees need more and more watering (see text: Increasing problems for city trees). Yes: City trees can shade our cities and cool them through evaporation, but they themselves suffer greatly from climate change. Healthy city trees are for the urban microclimate central, but for this they must be healthy and have enough water.

In addition to the increasing need for watering, there is also a growing ecological awareness among the population: more and more people want to make their surroundings more ecological, beautiful and sustainable.
And at the same time, most cities and municipalities have to find a way to meet the increasing need for watering without additional financial resources. 

The Bavarian Federation of Nature Conservation writes:
«However, many city gardening authorities can only provide basic supplies for the stressed street trees because of the tight financial situation in many cities. City trees and especially street trees are therefore dependent on additional care and maintenance by committed residents. "

And this is where tree sponsors come in: They donate new trees and take care of the existing trees in their neighborhood. And cities are increasingly supporting this volunteer work.

Berlin, for example, has created its own website and mapped all the trees in the city. On the website https://www.giessdenkiez.de/ Citizens can find out about the water requirements of the individual trees and mark which trees they have already watered.

Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg With the support of baumbad, the city gifted tree sponsors with watering bags so they can water the trees in their neighborhood particularly effectively. Why particularly effective? The bags are quick to fill, the water can be measured, and then slowly drips into the soil. This makes it easier for sponsors to keep track of how much water they are giving the trees, according to their needs or the recommendations of the city's watering department. And the tree can absorb the water more efficiently. 

Incidentally, Thomas Hoppe also recommends Manager of the Späth'schen tree nurseries in Berlin Tree watering bag. And he also recommends them in connection with casting sponsorships.

You can find the whole video by Thomas Hoppe here:

Proper casting

As Thomas Hoppe describes, it's important to water the trees less frequently, but with 150-200 liters of water per watering. Baumbad watering bags are ideal for this. They hold either 75 or 100 liters and can be combined. Two bags provide 150 or 200 liters per watering. 

The motivation for tree sponsorships

Many people have a growing ecological awareness. You see pressing global problems and want to work for a more sustainable world. As a tree sponsor, many see the opportunity to get involved in the immediate vicinity and make a meaningful contribution to society. But there are other reasons as well.

The geographer Miriam Gruber has one in the science journal Springer Study published about green sponsorships in Bonn. She writes about the motivation of the tree sponsors:
"For most sponsors, cleanliness and aesthetics are the top priority. Several of them started their commitment out of frustration at the constant garbage in the tree pits in their neighborhood. In addition, it is important to those involved to be able to design their environment according to their personal ideas, as one sponsor describes: 'I want it to be nice where I live.' Several respondents also cited the joy of gardening as a reason for sponsoring, especially if they do not have a garden themselves."

Gruber writes that the tree sponsorships would also improve communication and the sense of responsibility in the neighborhood. The sponsors would be approached by people who would otherwise never have approached them on the street. And at the same time, the inhibition threshold for throwing away rubbish and for vandalism rises when flower beds are obviously tended privately.

Advantages for the cities

So what are you waiting for? Tree sponsorships not only have advantages for the sponsors, but also for the cities.

Miriam Gruber writes in her study: "Parallel to these initiatives emerging from civil society, politics and administration have recognized the potential that committed citizens represent for the preservation of urban greenery, especially in times of highly indebted cities and correspondingly scarce municipal resources."
She cites two other reasons for the city of Bonn to apply for green sponsorships: On the one hand, it is important for the city administration to accept civic engagement. On the other hand, the employees of the city administration see it as an opportunity to promote identification with urban green spaces.

We support tree rescuers

Are you interested in tree sponsorships? We support cities, communities and private individuals who want to work to preserve our trees. We would be happy to support you with our experience and our network. We have developed our own service program for tree sponsorships, that we would like to share with you!

Andrew Hunkeler
Diploma in Social and Cultural Anthropology. More about the author.