Get to know our partnership with David Douglas High School

Somalia, Burma, The Congo. These are just a few of the countries represented during some Friends of Trees planting events, thanks to our growing partnership with David Douglas High School’s English Language Learners program.

For more than five years DDHS students have volunteered at our community tree-planting events in outer-southeast Portland. For many students it is the first time they are connecting with the outdoors, not to mention actually planting a tree!

A highlight of this partnership is the International Grove our student-planters helped plan and plant a few years ago in collaboration with our partners at City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, resulting in 51 new trees on school grounds. It is worth going to visit the Grove to see this incredible collection of trees!

Many of our young planting partners come from refugee families with very limited resources, making the skill-building and leadership opportunities offered through this partnership particularly valuable. Our community benefits, too. These students are excellent cultural ambassadors through so actively and enthusiastically giving back to their new community. While the students appreciate the opportunity to bond outside of the classroom, we have sincerely appreciated the service they are providing for generations of Portlanders to come.

We are so fortunate to have both newly transplanted trees and the support of David Douglas’ newly transplanted students. May they grow to thrive side by side!