DEC 2024: SPOTLIGHTING BIPOC COMMUNITY PARTNER | GIFT TREES

EXPANDING OUR IMPACT. TOGETHER.

The Blueprint Foundation is part of our 11-member grant coalition

Partnership is a foundational for us at Friends of Trees. We’re so grateful to our community partners who work with us to engage with the community, exchange knowledge, and expand our collective impact.

We recently connected with Curtis Young, the Executive Director of The Blueprint Foundation, which connects communities, primarily Black and underserved communities, to environmental and economic opportunities. They’re one of our historic partners and a member of our 11-member IRA grant coalition. Over the course of the five-year grant project, our coalition will work to empower disadvantaged, low-canopy neighborhoods to expand their tree canopy.

“Being part of the coalition is an inspiring and rewarding experience,,” Curtis says. “It’s exciting because it involves people and nature coming together meaningfully. What makes it truly special is the collaboration.”

While the coalition grant will allow all the members to work toward a collective goal, it’s also transformative for each of the individual organizations.

“These funds will allow us to expand our impact significantly and scale our work in ways we’ve always envisioned but have not yet had the resources to achieve.”

Curtis, like all of our partners, is focused on serving the community and bringing people together. He truly understands how trees and community are interconnected.

“One of my favorite parts is the connection to the community. Trees bring people together, whether through planting events, educational programs, or simply the shared joy of walking under a canopy of leaves.”

Read more from Curtis here.

THE EUGENE BRANCH

Baring our roots.

Sometimes trees come in a container, sometimes in burlap, and sometimes you just get bare roots with no soil at all. It’s sort of a funny sight to see a tree’s roots existing above ground. It’s also really cool to see their shape and structure. There are a lot of advantages to planting bare root trees, even if they can sometimes be slightly trickier to plant.

“It’s an important stock type,” says Eugene Director Erik Burke. “It’s cheaper and more sustainable than container or ball-in-burlap.”

The sustainability of using bare root trees is for a few reasons. The first is that you don’t dig up the soil. The second is that they are so much lighter and easier to transport. Anyone who has had to lift a ball-in-burlap tree knows just how heavy they can be.

“Another benefit is that you can see the entire root system and address any problems before you plant,” Erik says.

Friends of Trees will be giving away more than 3,000 native trees and plants in Springfield on February 15th. They will all be bare root, and small—about two feet tall.

“Tree giveaways are another chance for us to reach people,” Erik says. “And it’s another way to diversify the species being planted.”

Read more here.

GIVE THE GIFT OF COMMUNITY TREES

This year end, we hope you consider donating to the community nonprofits that you love, including Friends of Trees. Last week OPB reported that “nonprofit organizations across Portland are facing serious financial and staffing challenges that imperil groups working in everything….Some are on the brink of shutting down entirely.”

If you have capacity, now is great time to support community organizations. In addition to typical donations, there are a few other ways you can donate:

Stock our stockings!

You can support Friends of Trees through donating appreciated securities including stocks and bonds. Learn more here.

Gift Trees!

Still looking for a holiday present for a loved one? How about a tree planted in their honor! Gift trees are a lasting legacy that honor or remember loved ones while improving our environment. All Gift Trees are planted through our Green Space Program, which restores sensitive natural areas in our region. Learn more here.

GET INVOLVED

Help us reach our 1 millionth tree this planting season!

We have such awesome planting events for you this season! Whether it’s in a neighborhood or natural area, we would love your help building community with trees and native plants. It’s a great way to take climate action, and as a volunteer named Caela puts it, planting trees is the “best reason in the world to wear rubber pants and play in the mud!”

We’re still looking for volunteers for these events:

• January 20 (Monday), Woodhaven Natural Area planting, Sherwood
• January 25, Memorial Park natural area planting, Wilsonville
• January 25, Central-South Vancouver neighborhood planting

General volunteers: register here for Portland Metro area events, and check out the Eugene event calendar here. We can’t wait to plant trees with you!

Crew Leaders and Assistants—watch your inbox for Crew Leader News on the first of the month! Trained Crew Leaders sign-up for events here.

GIVE!GUIDE IS STILL GOING!

Willamette Week’s Give!Guide goes through December 31st! There are still FIVE MORE BIG GIVE DAYS, with chances to win awesome prizes like Pickathon tickets, coffee subscriptions, and Portland Nursery gift cards.

Huge thanks to our business sponsors Ranch Pizza and Level Beer for donating a slice and a pint to our first 300 donors!

With your gift, however large or small, Friends of Trees is on its way toward hitting a $70k goal for the Give!Guide by year’s end. Your support will not only help us reach the milestone of 1 million trees and native plants, it’ll get us started on the next million! All planted by and for the community.

Friends of Trees thanks Willamette Week for being the media sponsor of our Millionth Tree Campaign, and for creating Give!Guide, which raises millions of dollars for community nonprofits and builds a culture of active citizenship. Support WW today and fund journalism that makes a difference.

Visit our Give!Guide page!

Thanks to our Millionth Tree Presenting Partner, Portland General Electric!

Thanks to all of our Millionth Tree Partners for their support!

GET A TREE | DONATE | VOLUNTEER

The #FriendsofTreesWay is planting trees—and so much more!

(503) 282-8846: Portland office

(541) 632-3683: Eugene office

friendsoftrees.org

friendsoftrees.org/eugene

FOLLOW US