Tree Hugger Support
Tree Hugger is an iOS app for getting to know New York City's street trees. Walk up to a tree, give it a name, leave a comment, hug it, and explore nearby rest stops — benches, public restrooms, drinking fountains, POPS plazas, and summer cooling sites — while you wander. Tree data comes from NYC Open Data; the personality comes from people like you.
Quick start
- Open the map. Allow location access when prompted so the app can show you where you are.
- Walk up to an unnamed tree. When you are within about 30 meters, tap it and give it a name. You can only name a tree when you are physically next to it.
- Hug a tree. Tap the hug button when you are near a tree to bump its hug counter. Hugs only count from up close.
- Discover rest stops. Nearby benches, restrooms, water fountains, plazas, and cooling sites appear on the map once you've started engaging with the trees around you.
- Leave comments and likes. Tap any tree to read its story so far and add your own.
Frequently asked questions
How does naming a tree work?
Every NYC street tree starts out unnamed. The first person to walk up to one (within roughly 30 meters) gets to give it a name. After that the name sticks, but other people can add comments, likes, and hugs.
What is a hug?
A hug is a tap on the hug button while you're physically next to a tree. It bumps the tree's hug counter and is a small way of saying hello. You can hug the same tree more than once over time, but you have to actually be there.
Why can't I name a tree from across the street (or my couch)?
Because the whole point is to encourage real-life encounters with trees. The app uses your device's location to check that you're close enough — about 30 meters — before letting you name or hug. Your location isn't stored; it's only used in the moment for the proximity check.
Where does the tree data come from?
The underlying inventory of trees is the NYC Forestry Tree Points dataset published on NYC Open Data. It's public, open data. Names, comments, hugs, and likes are added by app users on top of that.
How do I report bad content?
Tap a tree to open its detail view, find the offending comment or name, and use the report option. Reports are reviewed and content that violates the community guidelines is removed. You can also block other users so you don't see their contributions.
How do I delete my data or my account?
You can sign out from the app's settings screen at any time. To permanently delete your account and the user-generated content tied to it, email us at hughes.khalil@gmail.com. We'll process the request within 30 days and confirm by reply. The same email address handles requests to remove specific pieces of content.
The map didn't open at my location. What's wrong?
Tree Hugger needs location permission to center the map. Open the iOS Settings app, find Tree Hugger, and make sure Location is set to "While Using the App." If you've denied it, you'll need to re-enable it there.
Does Tree Hugger track me or sell my data?
No. There are no analytics SDKs, no advertising identifiers, and no third-party trackers. See the Privacy Policy for the full details.
Contact
Bugs, feature ideas, account questions, anything else — email hughes.khalil@gmail.com. Replies usually come within a few days.