A playful rebrand of urban awareness.
Name That Baum invites you
to name real trees across Berlin.
Not to save the world—just to notice it again.
Part art, part game, part love letter to the city's trees.
Because doing good doesn't have to be serious.
What is this?
A small act of absurd care.
In a city where even trees feel like inventory, Name That Baum turns data into something personal again — not by saving trees, but by seeing them.
It’s a public art project that lets Berliners name real trees in real parks: part map, part game, part quiet joke disguised as civic engagement.
Because sometimes noticing something — really noticing it — is enough to make it matter again.
Choose a tree. Give it a name. Watch your forest grow.
Proceeds help support the future of Berlin’s green spaces.
Why It Matters
“There’s a reason you don’t name chickens you plan on eating.”
They stand there quietly, collecting our cigarette smoke and existential dread. Once you start seeing them, you can’t unsee them — tiny silver plates nailed into bark all over Berlin, each one pointing to a line in a municipal database: species, age, condition, coordinates. Number 147632. 147633. It’s impressive. It’s efficient. It’s German. And somehow, it’s inherently sad. Thousands of living things recorded perfectly, yet somehow invisible.
Naming something makes it real.
Seeing What’s Been There All Along
Living in a big city can make anyone feel invisible. Berlin moves fast; everything and everyone fades into background noise.
But sometimes, all it takes to reconnect is a small, playful act — a quiet joke that turns data back into life.
Name That Baum asks:
Could a bit of absurdity make us notice the city again?
Could humor do what guilt and good intentions never quite managed — help us care, just by paying attention?
Who’s It For?
My kind of Berliner might notice. The ones who stop to read stickers on lampposts. The ones who photograph weird graffiti and post it with no caption. They care about the city, but in their own way — curious, ironic, allergic to preachiness. They like when something mundane suddenly feels alive.
How it Works...
Use our interactive map to find a nameless tree in your neighborhood. Any public tree is fair game.
Choose a name that's meaningful, whimsical, or just feels right. This is your chance to be creative.
We'll generate a unique poster for your newly named tree, featuring its species, location, and the name you gave it.
Turning Data Into Stories
The idea is simple: a digital map where Berliners can find real trees and give them names. Not noble Latin ones, but human, ridiculous ones — Twiggy Stardust, Justin Treeber, Birch Reynolds, Treeyoncé. Because when you name something, you start to notice it. You remember it. And noticing is the first step to caring.
Every Tree Tells a Story
Each name is a new chapter in the city's living history. Here are a few of our favorites.
Treeyoncé
“Berlin’s most glamorous maple.”
Snoop Logg
“Deep roots, deeper grooves.”
Twiggy Stardust
“A space oddity among sycamores.”
Forrest Gump
“Life is like a box of acorns.”
Spruce Springsteen
“Born to run (sap).”
Leaf Erikson
“Discovering new worlds, one park at a time.”
A Small Gesture With Real Roots
For a small fee — two euros — you can claim the digital naming rights to a real Berlin tree. A portion supports the parks and public spaces those trees call home. It’s a small gesture that combines fun and impact — a bit of civic mischief that actually gives back.