Watering Wednesday campaign aims to get UK streets to look after local trees

Councils across the UK have stepped up their planting programmes as the benefits of street trees are better understood. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

As young street trees struggle and wilt in the summer heat, people are being urged to step into action with their watering cans to help.

Hundreds of people are already looking after their local trees as part of the Watering Wednesday campaign launched by Trees for Streets, and some residents have set up rotas and allocated particular saplings to specific families.