Growing from a modest idea simply to catalogue the trees at Bishop Otter Campus, University of Chichester, this project quickly became something rather more ambitious. A few enthusiastic exchanges with the local Tree Wardens later, plus a couple of walks and pubs, we concluded that we needed to map all of Chichester trees to more fully understand the local context and to safeguard against future losses. Project ChiTrees was born, to capture local data and conduct research to benefit the local community.

We aim to conduct a citizen science project that recruited and trained local volunteers to capture and share data using the Treezilla resource, which provides basic ecosystem service outcomes when provided with location, species, and size. Initially collecting information on trees in public spaces, we intend to further develop the scope of the project in the future. 

Our first training and orientation day included a quick introduction to the aims and scope of the project, followed by a hands on demonstration of the Treezilla app in action, in this case logging a magnificent Indian Bean Tree in one of the quadrangles.