Pei Bei (right) shows the redleaf cherry plum that Fang Chen has adopted in a live broadcast from Yangpu Park.
Pei Bei (left) and her colleague take a video of a redleaf cherry plum that is being adopted.
"Hello, I will now show you a panoramic view of the redleaf cherry plum, see? it is very beautiful."
Pei Bei, an official with the Yangpu District Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau, was broadcasting from Yangpu Park on Wednesday morning.
Watching was Shanghai resident Fang Chen, who was taking part in a "cloud tree adoption" activity ahead of Arbor Day on March 12.
With less space for tree planting in Shanghai every year, greenery authorities are encouraging people to adopt a tree rather than plant one.
People traditionally plant trees on Arbor Day but authorities are hoping they will instead help cover the cost of caring for the city's existing greenery.
Usually, people who adopt would be there to see a card bearing their name put on “their” tree. However, parks are closed this year is due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Pei’s broadcast showed different views of the tree and the name card hung on it.
"We will keep you updated on the growth of the tree, and you are invited to visit the park once it reopens," Pei told Fang.
"I was moved when seeing the tree because I could not come to the scene at present," said Fang, a helicopter pilot who has delivering supplies for the epidemic battle in Wuhan, Hubei Province, for the past three weeks.
"I want to make a little contribution to greenery and environmental protection via the adoption," said Fang. "I saw the blossoming flowers of the tree in the live broadcast and I will visit the tree once I get back."
Pei Bei (left) records gardener Yue Jinfang at work beside a tree that has been adopted.
The bureau has put up more than 300 trees for adoption, with more than 100 residents adopting over 180 of them so far.
The trees at parks such as Huangxing and Yangpu include trees over 100 years old, and varieties include magnolia, camphor, beech, wisteria and maple, said Pei.
About 70 percent of people who have adopted trees have said they would visit after the epidemic but the live broadcast made up for not being able to be there at present, said Pei.
It is extra work for Pei, but worth it, she said.
"Blooming flowers in spring signify hope, and we bring hope to people," she said.
Some adopters wanted to see how the trees were looked after and Pei’s video showed them that.
"In spring, we weed and fertilize, and we disinsect and clean in April and May," said Yue Jinfang, a park worker for 18 years. "In winter, we trim the branches."
Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau said on Wednesday that it had listed 1.08 million trees at 120 parks and green spaces across the city for adoption this year, with adoption made via its WeChat account.
More than 1,600 trees had been adopted as of Monday, it said.
Chenshan Botanical Garden in Songjiang District had 50 cherry blossom trees for adoption with almost all spoken for.
"After the garden is reopened, we will arrange for families who have adopted trees to visit and we will establish a WeChat group to send videos and photos to them and let them know how their contributions to the adoption fund are being used," said Zhang Zhe, an employee at the botanical garden.
Shanghai Gongqing Forest has more than 300 trees for adoption, including peach, cedar and Chinese flowering crabapple.
Shanghai Botanical Garden in Xuhui District has released a number of plant science popularization vlogs, and enables residents to participate in tree adoption activities online.
They will be able to visit the trees after the epidemic but at present an view them online.
Gardener Yue Jinfang clears around a tree which has been adopted at Yangpu Park.
An official puts a card bearing the adopter's name on a tree.