Dutch designer launches global map app for ancient tree lovers

Dutch designer Hidde Burgmans has created a mobile app called Ancient Trees to help people find remarkable old trees around the world. The 37-year-old from Baarn in the Netherlands built the platform using his professional background in digital design after noticing a lack of tools to track down and share special trees during work trips to Lisbon.

App Features

The app functions as a curated map of quirky and intriguing trees rather than a complete directory of every tree. Users can upload their favourite trees with photos and descriptions, and track the specimens they visit on their profile. Listed trees include Malaysian baobabs and the Fortingall yew in Perthshire, Scotland, which is estimated to be about 5,000 years old. Burgmans hopes the platform will eventually feature walking routes in cities and become a dedicated navigation tool for tree lovers.

Expert Reaction

Dendrologist Dan Crowley, known online as @thetreespotter, praised the app for its global reach compared to existing regional databases like the UK Woodland Trust inventory. Crowley noted that trees currently face difficult conditions due to hot and dry summers. He added that community observation helps people learn about trees and encourages better care for them.

Context

Mobile mapping apps have increasingly transformed niche hobbies into global communities by allowing enthusiasts to share location-based data across borders. Nature enthusiasts and researchers often use crowd-sourced inventories to monitor plant health and track environmental changes over time. Public engagement projects of this kind help draw attention to conservation needs in urban and rural areas alike.