Privacy policy

Last updated 15 October 2026

We keep this simple. We only ask for what we need to run Free Trees, we never sell it, and we never show your email address, postcode or home on the site.

Who we are

Free Trees is a free community project run by System Two. System Two is responsible for the information you give us on this website. If you have any questions, or want to see, change or delete your information, email [email protected].

What we collect

If you sign up as a grower

• Your first name
• Your email address
• Your postcode
• How many trees you have ready

We use your postcode to work out a rough location. We store that location rounded to about 100 metres, so we never hold your exact address.

If you log a tree as a guardian

• Your first name
• Your email address
• Where the tree is planted, taken from your phone or from where you tap on the map
• The kind of tree, any photo you add and any note you write

We only record where the tree is. We don't record where you live.

If you say hello to a tree

• Your first name, if you choose to give it
• How the tree is looking, plus any photo or note you add

Technical information

Like any website, the computers that run this site see your internet address when you visit. This is used to deliver pages and to protect the site from attack. We don't use advertising or tracking cookies, and we don't build profiles of visitors.

If you say hello to a tree, your phone or computer remembers your first name so you don't have to type it next time. That stays on your own device and you can clear it at any time by clearing your browser's data.

What other people can see

Free Trees is a public, community project, so some things are shown on the site for everyone:

• Each tree's location, kind, photos, notes and how it's looking
• The first name of each tree's guardian and of anyone who says hello
• A grower's first name and a rough area about a kilometre across, shown as a circle on the map

We never show email addresses, postcodes or a grower's exact location. Individual tree pages are kept out of search engines such as Google.

Please don't upload photos that show people's faces, car number plates or house numbers.

Why we use your information

We use your information to run Free Trees: to put trees on the map, to credit growers when their trees are planted, to let us contact you about trees you've grown or planted, and to keep the site safe. The law calls this our "legitimate interest" in running the project. You can ask us to stop at any time.

We won't send you marketing. If we ever want to send a newsletter, we'll ask you first.

Who we share it with

We never sell your information. We use a small number of trusted services to run the site:

• Cloudflare hosts the website and stores the information and photos you give us.
• Postcodes.io turns a grower's postcode into a rough location. Only the postcode is sent.
• OpenStreetMap supplies the map pictures. Your browser fetches these directly, so OpenStreetMap sees your internet address when you look at a map.

We may share the number of trees and their locations with local councils and community groups, to help look after them. We won't share your name or contact details with anyone else unless you ask us to or the law requires it.

Some of these services may process information outside the UK. Where they do, they use the protections UK law requires.

How long we keep it

We keep your information for as long as the project runs or until you ask us to delete it. Tree records may stay on the map after you leave, but we'll remove your name and email address on request.

Your rights

You can ask us to:

• Show you the information we hold about you
• Correct anything that's wrong
• Delete your information
• Stop using your information

Just email [email protected]. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

Children

Children are very welcome to grow and plant trees. If you're under 13, please ask a parent or carer to sign up or log the tree for you.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we'll update it here and change the date at the top.