Tree lovers and citizen scientists across the UK and Republic of Ireland are in for a treat as Treezilla, the innovative tree mapping platform developed by Natural Apptitude for the Open University, Forest Research, and Treeconomics collaboration, unveils a significant new dimension. The latest update to the Treezilla website and app introduces two new tools. The first enables users to record the often-unseen social and cultural significance of trees in their communities, moving beyond traditional mapping to capture the personal stories and values we associate with these vital natural assets. The second new tool allows users to add tree size and condition details such as size, shape; crown and trunk condition, as well as other trunk details.
Established in 2013, Treezilla empowers the public, local authorities, businesses, and community groups to collaboratively map, measure, and monitor trees, with a particular focus on the often-underappreciated urban canopy. While there are an estimated 1.5 billion urban trees across the UK, fewer than ten percent are currently recorded in databases, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of these crucial green spaces that benefit the majority of the population.
Now, Treezilla has deepened its connection with communities through Branching Out - www.valueoftrees.co.uk - a project dedicated to exploring the rich social and cultural values of trees. Over the past four years, through a series of storytelling activities and workshops, citizens and stakeholders responsible for trees in Milton Keynes, York and Cardiff contributed their own personal stories about the past, present, and future connections between people and trees. The latest Treezilla release brings these insights to the forefront, enabling users to indicate what specific trees mean to them in terms of diverse values, including history, culture, nature, spirituality, and emotions. See the Treezilla FAQs for more about what are social and cultural values and how they have been applied in Treezilla.
The updated website and app feature a suite of intuitive new icons, for example, depicting hearts for emotional connections, scrolls for historical significance, and hands for spiritual value, accompanied by clear, user-friendly guidance on how to share these perspectives as personal tree stories.
This latest update to Treezilla marks an exciting evolution for the project, recognising that trees are not just ecological assets but also hold deep cultural and personal significance for individuals and communities. By empowering citizens to share these values, Treezilla is building a richer, more nuanced understanding of the trees that shape our lives.
We have also upgraded Treezilla to include data fields that align with the Individual Tree Data Standard; improved data filtering and support for groups and projects to tag 'their' trees. The website now has improved speed, ease of use as well as mapping. The expansions include concise and targeted user input fields in both the website and app, making it even easier for everyone to contribute valuable data.
If you are using older versions of the Treezilla app, downloaded before the 21st of October 2025, these will not continue to work after the 28th of November 2025, when the older supporting backend will be turned off. You will need to upgrade to continue using the app, for more information about this contact: treezilla@open.ac.uk .
Download the updated Treezilla app from the links opposite or visit the Treezilla website today and share your tree story!