A simple idea to tidy up Park Street has grown into a wonderful project that will help residents and visitors discover more about the trees that give Greyton so much of its character.
The idea began with John (our favourite ‘bread man’), who suggested bringing people together to clean up Park Street as a collective community effort. From those conversations came another idea: why not help people identify and learn about the magnificent trees they pass every day?
Supported by the Greyton Conservation Society, John and Klaus Wehrlin are now placing specially designed identification plaques on trees around the village. Each plaque includes the name of the tree together with a QR code, which can be scanned with a mobile phone and takes you to further information about that particular species on Wikipedia.
The plaques have also been designed to make it easy to distinguish between different types of trees. Green plaques identify indigenous trees, while black plaques identify exotic species. Invasive trees are deliberately not being labelled.
Around 20 trees in Park Street will receive tags, along with approximately 20 in Main Road, 20 in Oak Street and another 20 in Vigne Lane – creating an informal tree trail through some of Greyton’s best-loved streets.
Many of the trees we enjoy today have their own history. Most of Greyton’s older oak trees predate a major village tree-planting initiative which took place in 1981, when many of the other trees that now shade our streets were planted. More than four decades later, those trees have become an integral part of the Greyton landscape.
The new plaques offer a lovely opportunity to slow down and notice them.
How many times have you walked beneath a tree in Greyton without knowing what it is, where it originates or how it fits into our local environment? Now, finding out is as simple as taking out your phone and scanning the code.
It is a small project, but one that combines conservation, education, history and community – while encouraging all of us to appreciate the remarkable green canopy we sometimes take for granted.
So next time you’re out for a walk, keep an eye out for the new plaques.
Walk the streets, scan a QR code and get to know Greyton’s trees – you may be surprised by what has been growing above your head all these years.
