Defra: characterising community groups engaged in the big tree plant and identifying the benefits and challenges of involvement for participants

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs invites applications for its characterising community groups engaged in the big tree plant and identifying the benefits and challenges of involvement for participants call.

The aim of this project is to build on the quantitative monitoring of the BTP scheme and explore in further detail the key factors that enabled communities to come together and get involved in the BTP. This will develop the evidence base to understand the capacity of community groups to undertake action to improve their local environment and whether this type of activity can lead to further community action or engage disengaged groups. The project aims to improve our understanding of: how to engage most effectively with communities who made a BTP bid; and support the needs of groups that were unsuccessful in their bid, or chose not to apply despite initial interest. This research project also seeks to understand if engendering a sense of ownership of trees through tree planting increases local quality of life and community engagement, as well as short and long term care for local trees. It is expected that projects will start in October 2012 and they should be completed by July 2013.