Seoul City Opens Year-Round Recruitment for 'Namu Dolbomi'... Promoting Citizen-Led Greening Initiatives

Volunteer Hours Recognized Up to 2 Hours on Weekdays and Up to 4 Hours on Weekends and Public Holidays

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 8th that it will recruit 'Tree Caretakers' year-round through 25 autonomous districts, allowing citizens to adopt and manage street trees and green spaces as their own.

Since the Tree Caretaker project began in 2013, a total of 55,627 Tree Caretakers have been active over eight years until 2020. Approximately 7,000 people participate in the project annually on a steady basis. Over the eight years, 3,053 street tree routes have been adopted, with a total of 4,329,000 trees adopted.

Any citizen or organization wishing to participate in the project can apply at any time throughout the year. After selecting a tree or street tree route, applicants submit their application to the relevant autonomous district office (Park and Greenery Division, Green City Division, or Green Urban Division). After a certain screening process, they are selected as 'Tree Caretakers.'

Tree Caretaker activities mainly include watering during droughts, picking up trash, and collecting fruits in autumn. Specific activity details and frequency are autonomously determined through agreements with the respective autonomous district.

Participants in Tree Caretaker activities can receive volunteer hours recognized for up to 2 hours on weekdays and up to 4 hours on weekends and public holidays. Seoul plans to encourage outstanding Tree Caretakers to participate in a citizen-led urban greening contest scheduled for the end of the year.

Choi Yoon-jong, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Green City Bureau, said, "The Seoul Tree Caretaker project allows citizens to become the owners of urban green spaces and street trees, nurturing them with care. This project is expected to have a twofold effect: fostering affection for our local area among participants and providing a more pleasant street environment for Seoul citizens." He added, "We appreciate the continuous interest and dedication of Tree Caretakers and ask for active participation in this year's project as well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.