One city set up email addresses for its trees — now people won't stop writing them love letters

In Melbourne, Australia, the joy of battling an overflowing email inbox isn't reserved for humans. The city assigned each of its trees an email address in 2013 as a way for residents to report problems like dangerous branches, but the program has turned into so much more. The trees have received thousands of emails, and many of them aren't complaints at all: They're hellos, questions, even love letters.

One admirer wrote to Tree ID 1032705 in February:

What makes this even more delightful is that the trees sometimes respond to their human admirers. A self-aware western red cedar and a guy named Troy discussed what might happen to Greece's economy, with the tree conceding, "I don’t know, but then I’m only a tree."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up