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Berlin map of 900,000 trees tells neighbours which ones are thirsty

People water a tree in Berlin.
Source image from ‘Like caring for a pet’: the app that lets you know if your neighbourhood tree is thirsty. theguardian.com.Full-size image

Amanda Gläser-Bligh carries about 20 litres of water to Linda once a week in the hotter months. Linda is the eight-year-old linden she adopted outside her door in Charlottenburg, Berlin, and the tree no longer wilts in the summer heat. Gläser-Bligh adopted the tree through Gieß den Kiez, a CityLAB Berlin project. Its map tracks more than 900,000 trees and calculates each one's water needs from age, species and local rainfall. The project has run since 2020, with 12,000 registered volunteers.

Linden canopies cool Berlin's streets and their blooms feed local bees. Saplings need frequent watering to survive, and the map's colour coding shows which trees are in critical need.

Source: ‘Like caring for a pet’: the app that lets you know if your neighbourhood tree is thirsty (theguardian.com). Spotted via Squirrel News.

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