The Tree Warden Scheme is a countrywide initiative started and coordinated by The Tree Council. There are many networks throughout the UK, with Tree Warden Coordinators helping local tree enthusiasts get involved with and care for the trees in their area. South Cambridgeshire District Council is the registered network coordinator for this area. As coordinators, the Council aims to provide training suitable to local needs and keep parish councils and the tree wardens up-to-date on current tree issues.
The Tree Council
The Tree Council (founded in 1973) is one of the UK’s leading charities for trees, promoting their importance in a changing environment and working in partnership with communities, organisations and government to make trees matter to everyone. 
The Tree Council focuses on
- getting more trees, of the right kind, in the right places;
- better care for all trees of all ages and
- inspiring effective action for trees.
The charity works with its national network of volunteer Tree Wardens and member organisations to engage people in biodiversity and environmental issues and to promote tree planting and conservation in town and country.
You can read more about the work of The Tree Council here.
The Tree Warden
Who is a tree warden and why are they needed?
A Tree Warden is a volunteer local tree champion and one of a national force of local tree champions and a key part of The Tree Council’s Community Action Programme. Tree Wardens are the eyes and ears of their neighbourhoods. Community involvement is a central aim of the Scheme. Some tree wardens work with local schools or groups, some lead guided tree walks and give talks to local groups, some help farmers lay hedges or tag trees, encouraging local environmental improvement or tree planting projects, etc. etc.
A tree warden can pretty much choose how involved they get or what they do. The scheme gives an opportunity to: 
- Champion their local trees and woods
- Plant and care for trees
- Carry out woodland management
- Set up tree nurseries using seeds collected locally
- Survey trees and gather information about them
- Provide early warning of threats, disease, decay or vandalism
- Involve their neighbours in tree projects
- Get together with like-minded people for training and field trips
- Spearhead Tree Council initiatives such as its Hedge Tree Campaign to reverse the decline of trees and hedges.
The key to being a successful Tree Warden is to work closely with the South Cambs council tree officers and the local parish council.
South Cambs Tree Warden Network
The relaunch of the South Cambs network took place in September 2018, in line with the new Liberal Democrat administrations cooperative object of being Green to our core, and our desire to becoming Zero Carbon council by 2050. 
The scheme will provide training events about three times a year, in November 2018 and March and July 2019, and roll on to the following year in the same order. It is envisaged that each event will be held at a different Parish location and cover topics which will be tailored to the needs of parishes in South Cambs. These events will be open to members of the Parish Council and their Tree Wardens.
South Cambs scheme coordinators will also send our regular email news updates.
Want to become a Tree Warden?
If Parishes want to do more on their trees or become part of the Tree Warden network in the district and do not already have a tree warden, you should promote this idea to the community to ask for volunteers and then nominate someone.
More information on becoming a Tree Warden can be found on the Tree Council website and where you can download The Tree Warden Scheme leaflet.
As the Tree Wardens are Parish Champions, communications with South Cambs must be via the Parish Council Clerk.
For more information on the tree warden scheme or for planning tree communications, please use the email planning.trees@scambs.gov.uk