WESTERLEIGH Group has taken a significant step towards safeguarding its living memorial and tree collection by using industry-leading software.

The group is one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of cemeteries and crematoria, with 40 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.

It has trained all its grounds team leaders in TreeKeeper, software which tracks tree data, assessing health metrics, visualising information and planning maintenance.

Giles Palmer, head of grounds at Westerleigh Group, said: “Accurately mapping the trees located across all our sites in England, Scotland, and Wales is the first step in our journey to measure the ecosystem services our tree collection provides.

"This makes us more resilient to future pest and disease threats, as well as the impacts of climate change. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that our tree collection remains robust and healthy for the bereaved families who visit our sites, as well as for the wide variety of wildlife which call our gardens and landscapes home.”

Katie Screech, an Urban Forest Technician at Treeconomics, said: “We’re delighted to supply TreeKeeper to Westerleigh Group, which manages a wide range of significant sites across the UK. By using software to manage and capture the benefits of trees, they can ensure that their memorial collection remains robust and healthy for the families who visit. We’re happy to support them in maintaining these special places of reflection for families and future generations.”