The nonprofit Trees For Houston (TFH) wrapped up its 2021-2022 planting season by shattering the single-season planting number. With the support of donors, volunteers, and community partners, Trees For Houston planted and distributed a record 60,035 trees with a total of 200 tree plantings and 71 tree distribution events. This number is nearly three times the annual total of 23,000 trees.
Much of this growth is attributed to the visibility and attention Trees For Houston receives when hosting drive-through tree distribution events. Community members can pick up free trees to plant in their yards, receive planting instructions and guidance, and ultimately fulfilling the mission to plant, protect, and promote trees in the Greater Houston region.
During a tree giveaway, an average of 1,000 native trees are distributed in about two hours. These efforts are made possible by generous philanthropic donors like Aramco, Arbor Day Foundation, CenterPoint Energy, Chevron, LyondellBasell, and many others.
With this exceptional growth, TFH is scaling to meet the needs and goals of our city and positioning itself as the resource for trees for any neighborhood or organization in need. In April 2022, TFH broke ground on the Kinder Campus at 2011 W. 34th St., Trees For Houston’s new home and centralized tree nursery.
This expansion will allow the nonprofit to meet the increased demand of local municipalities, other non-profits, neighborhood groups and community partners. The Kinder Campus will be a dedicated place for Houstonians of all ages to learn, gather and collaborate. Lectures, workshops, and special events will be offered to promote and share their mission.
“Our partners and volunteers are an integral part of the organization and allow us to continue expanding the green canopy in the Greater Houston area,” said Trees For Houston executive director, Barry Ward, “The trees we plant are living infrastructure and will benefit the community for generations to come. They act as sound walls, water and air filters, and shade structures. They sequester air pollution, reduce cooling bills, slow down floodwater, fight erosion, cool our summer streets, and increase our property values.”
Since its founding in 1983, Trees For Houston has planted over 740,000 trees across the southeast Texas region. The organization initially focused its early efforts on planting street trees in the heart of Houston. But as the city grew, so did the need for strategic, large-scale planting to counteract the impact of expansion on the region’s tree canopy. As the only tree planting organization of its kind in the region, Trees For Houston is the go-to clearing house for trees and source of information for other organizations and Houston residents. For additional information, visit www.TreesForHouston.org.
