Interactive map, identification number and affectionate emails. The trees of Melbourne, Australia, are respected public figures.
What if you could write a love letter to your favorite olmo golden, encouraging you to perform a “good job” and receive a message of thanks?
This is exactly what started to do the inhabitants of Melbourne, Australia, when, in 2015, the City Hall created specific email addresses for each of the 70,000 trees that flanks streets and parks in the center of Australia’s second most populous city.
A Interactive Map of the Urban Forest which provides individual data on each tree, to whom they have been assigned identification numbers that allow residents to send emails to report some kind of problem.
The goal was, therefore, to protect the flora from Melbourne, but the plan turned out to be more fun than that. The trees even started receiving affectionate fans emails.
To The Guardian, the Arran Wood City Councilor explained 10 years ago that “it was only logical to associate the numbers of ID already existing with an email address, creating a connection between these trees and the community.”
He explained that the affection received by these living beings was “an unintentional but positive consequence – Instead of reporting problems with trees, people started writing letters to express how much they love specific trees in the city“.
“E-mail interactions reveal The love that the inhabitants of Melbourne have for our trees. For example, we received an email from workers who got a tree from the State Library to ensure that it survived drought, ”said Wood.
And if you write to your Plátano election, you can even expect a friendly answer. An example of email was even shared by the municipality:
“Caro Oliver,
Thank you for your lovely words. I am really well. Have a good day.
With the best compliments,
Tree 1441724. ”
CAROLINA BASTOS PEREIRA, ZAP //
