Oli Back - May 2023 street tree enthusiast

Our volunteers are from many walks of life and each month we chat with one.

Oli has worked with STfL since January in a new role of Office Manager and Blossoms Coordinator. One of his main briefs is to set up the STfL idea in other parts of London.
 
Oli is pretty down-to-earth about trees. “I always found them fun to climb, and of course they look amazing. I’m definitely an enthusiast for mystical woods and tree-lined avenues!” However Oli’s big passions are live-events and his group EcoTripping (which is nothing to do with magic mushrooms of course). In and outside his work he has put both to use in raising awareness for environmental causes. 
  
Most recently EcoTripping meant taking kayaks with several friends down the Shannon River in Ireland from source to sea. They covered 225 kilometres in 10 days. As they paddled they monitored water quality and litter-picked. “It felt like a fun project and a good thing to do, a holiday with low carbon emissions.” 
  
I asked Oli what he had learned so far during his very short time working with STfL. “Yeah it still feels pretty new. The whole concept of being able to get street trees is pretty cool. Communities influencing their roads so fundamentally is great. I've always imagined planting street trees as a complex process, but seeing the way STfL works is inspiring. It feels like there's massive potential to line our streets with trees. Also for people to feel real connection to them. It's completely changed the way I look at the city”. 
 

If you like the idea of being Street Tree Enthusiast of the Month please email dom@streettreesforliving.org.

Interview and article by Dom Eliot.