A new decade of planting. A new era of proof.
On a cold morning somewhere in the UK, a group of volunteers gather with spades, whips (the sapling kind 😊) and a shared purpose. By the end of the day, hundreds of trees are in the ground. What was once a neglected space begins its journey into a thriving biodiverse habitat.
This is what I Dig Trees from The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) has always been about. People coming together to make their local places greener – driving better nature for all with phenomenal results for climate, wildlife and our communities.
But today, something new is happening.
Every tree planted can now tell a story. Local insight feeds into a national picture. Not just anecdotally but backed up with quality data.
Welcome to the next chapter of I Dig Trees. A programme that is 10 years strong, and just getting started.
From millions of trees to measurable impact
From humble beginnings in 2015, TCV has worked with communities across the UK to plant over 4.5 million trees, creating more than 4,800 pocket forests for climate, wildlife and communities.
I Dig Trees is now the UK’s largest community-led tree planting programme. Just let that sink in…
916,560 volunteer hours committed – That’s a staggering 104 years of continuous volunteering – well over a century of dedication from our I Dig Trees community.
Our funded trees, which we offer free to community groups, along with careful training and tree-planting guidance, have brought hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life together, nurturing friendships, transforming thousands of community spaces, and, most importantly, creating lasting environmental change.
Now, with the introduction of the I Dig Trees app, we are turning that impact into something even more powerful: Verified, real-time environmental data.
A clearer picture of impact across the UK
With every entry, we can start to see not just how many trees are planted, but where they are, and why that matters.
We are beginning to understand patterns. Where new green space is being created or improved. Where communities in areas of deprivation might be gaining better access to nature. Where planting could be helping to slow the flow of water in flood-prone areas.
In some places, trees are being planted along rivers, which the experts like to call riparian tree planting, supporting habitats that extend far beyond a single site. Did you know, trout grow on trees? In others, they are reconnecting fragmented green spaces, creating wildlife corridors and bringing biodiversity back into urban neighbourhoods.
It is early days, but already the data is helping us move towards a more complete understanding of how tree planting supports biodiversity net gain, climate resilience and community wellbeing in terms of air quality improvements – helping organisations understand and demonstrate the real return on their investment in nature.
What we’re seeing so far
In the latest planting season, the app has already received 288 submissions from community groups across the UK, capturing locations and images from planting sites.
Each one represents real people taking action in real places.
Alongside this real-time input, we are continuing to build a comprehensive picture of all trees planted through the programme since 2015, combining retrospective data with ongoing citizen science and survey updates that help us track tree health and outcomes over time.
We have planted 800, and most of these are very healthy with only about 20 loss. We have stakes and covers (tree guards) on these, and regularly ‘de-weed’, water and check them all … We need a sustainable environment to help all of us. Being in and around nature is beneficial to all, so planting trees is a starting point in an area being developed for the local community.
I Dig Trees Community Group Feedback
Alongside these stories, the data is growing quickly and helping to build a clearer, more complete picture of impact.
Together, they form something powerful: a live, evolving record of how communities across the UK are shaping their local environments.
A shared effort, built with partners
The development of the app has been a collaborative effort, carefully shaped by the needs of the people using it and supported by a wide network of partners.
Working alongside 3ADAPT, we have been able to take this original idea forward. Together, we are transforming how tree planting data is captured, visualised and reported, giving us powerful new ways to understand and demonstrate impact at both a local and national level.
Our partnership with 3ADAPT marks a significant leap forward in demonstrating and supporting the impact of community action. We now have robust tools to clearly and credibly show how each volunteer and every tree planted is helping to create better nature for all.
Douglas Palarm, Director of Fundraising, Partnerships and Communications, The Conservation Volunteers
This collaborative approach ensures that tree planting is not only delivered at scale, but understood, improved and sustained over time.
Why this matters for organisations investing in nature
Expectations around environmental investment are changing.
It is no longer enough to take action. Increasingly, organisations are being asked to demonstrate the difference that action makes.
Where are trees being planted?
Who benefits?
What outcomes are being delivered over time?
The I Dig Trees app helps answer these questions in a way that is grounded, transparent and rooted in real-world activity.
For stakeholders, this provides something increasingly valuable:
- Confidence in the impact being delivered
- Access to verified, location-based data
- Clearer, more credible ESG reporting
- A direct connection between investment and outcomes
Tree planting is powerful. But being able to prove its impact is what makes it transformative.
Looking ahead: scaling what works
I Dig Trees is ten years strong, but this feels like a new beginning.
With the app, we now have the tools to grow not just the number of trees planted, but the depth of insight behind them.
With further support from the right partners, we can scale this work even further. Supporting more communities, planting 2.5 million more trees by 2030, and building one of the most detailed pictures of community-led environmental action in the UK.
A future where every tree planted contributes not only to greener places, but to a smarter, more resilient landscape.
Be part of what comes next
Across the UK, communities are ready to plant, restore and care for green spaces.
With the right support, we can help that effort go further and ensure it delivers lasting benefits for climate, wildlife and communities, bringing us closer to better nature for all.
If you are looking to support large-scale tree planting with clear, credible evidence of impact, we would love to start a conversation: corporate-partnerships@tcv.org.uk | https://www.tcv.org.uk/i-dig-trees-corporate-support/
If you are a community group interested in claiming free trees, funded by our generous partners, then head here: https://www.tcv.org.uk/i-dig-trees-free-trees/
Keep up to date with the latest news and activities from The Conservation Volunteers by following us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, BlueSky and YouTube.
You can also sign up to receive TCV’s Greenzine e-newsletter for more ways to get involved.
