Urban nature has the capacity to enrich the lives of those experiencing it, yet research shows that fewer and fewer humans feel this connection. While experiences with nature continue to decline, engagement with personal technology is on the rise. To engage people with urban trees, we sought to apply this technology in a new way. Text-A-Tree served as a two-month engagement project in which visitors to the Halifax Public Gardens (Nova Scotia, Canada) could send text messages to fifteen selected trees. Trees had unique personalities which were maintained by volunteers who wrote messages in response. Interactions were managed behind-the-scenes using Zendesk, a web-based customer-service platform.

Between July 7 and August 31, 2019, a total of 10,643 messages were received from 2,888 unique phone numbers. While values such as beauty and shade were expressed, qualitative analysis revealed what participants most valued about the exchange was the opportunity to develop a relationship with trees. Participants conducted themselves politely, often asking about the trees’ backstories, likes, interests, and wellbeing. Survey results showed that this sense of connection extended to trees beyond the gardens. Participants reported the greatest change in their connection to urban trees as stemming from the process of learning.

城市自然有能力丰富那些经历它的人的生活，但研究表明，越来越少的人感受到这种联系。虽然与自然的体验持续下降，但对个人技术的参与却在增加。为了让人们与城市树木互动，我们试图以一种新的方式应用这项技术。Text-A-Tree 是一个为期两个月的参与项目，哈利法克斯公共花园（加拿大新斯科舍省）的游客可以向十五棵选定的树木发送短信。树木具有独特的个性，这些个性由写信息作为回应的志愿者维护。交互是使用基于 Web 的客户服务平台 Zendesk 在幕后管理的。

2019 年 7 月 7 日至 8 月 31 日期间，共收到来自 2,888 个唯一电话号码的 10,643 条消息。虽然表达了美丽和阴影等价值，但定性分析显示，参与者最看重的是与树木建立关系的机会。参与者举止礼貌，经常询问树木的背景、喜好、兴趣和健康状况。调查结果表明，这种联系感延伸到花园以外的树木。参与者报告说，由于学习过程，他们与城市树木的联系发生了最大的变化。