TreeWatch volunteers "adopt" a tree in Europe, and observe and record changes in the the tree's visible health through regular surveys. TreeWatch's pilot project is on horse chestnuts.

Europe's trees are facing unprecedented environmental threats, including pollution and land use change. A number of new tree diseases and pests have affected trees in recent years; the horse chestnut leaf miner, acute oak decline, and red band needle blight to name a few. Scientists are working hard to monitor and understand these and other pests and diseases. However, they are small teams and increasingly stretched, both in terms of the growing demand for their expertise, and by tightening budgets. This is where you can help and make a difference.

TreeWatch aims to:

• Create and maintain a registry of tree health.
• Contribute to a scientific understanding of the impacts of environmental stress on tree health.
• Develop a national volunteer network that could function as an early warning system in the face of new threats.
• Promote public engagement with environmental science in general, and specifically with the health and vitality of our trees.

TreeWatch is open to anyone, and getting involved is completely free. Are you up to the challenge?