Today’s Oregonian features 400,000th tree planted by Friends of Trees

Thank you to the thousands of individuals, businesses, foundations, agencies, and community groups that helped Friends of Trees plant our 400,000th tree on January 8.

Below is an excerpt from Matt Buxton’s story on the first page of the Metro section in today’s Oregonian:

Despite rain and mud, dozens of volunteers gathered on a barren patch of land along the Interstate 205 corridor to plant trees over the weekend.

As cars whizzed by, workers dug holes in the rocky slope for saplings that one day will grow into a small forest.

It’s an event that occurs most Saturdays as Friends of Trees continues its mission to plant trees throughout the Portland and Vancouver area. But this Saturday was unique—it marked the group’s 400,000th tree planted.

You can read more on our web site about Friends of Trees, our founding by Richard Seidman in 1989, our 21 years of leading volunteers at tree plantings, and our current goals.

In addition to these benefits mentioned in today’s Oregonian story—stormwater mitigation, cooling, soil retention, habitat for songbirds and other wildlife, carbon dioxide absorption, increased property value, crime reduction, and faster patient recovery—a new study conducted in Portland has revealed yet another benefit: healthier newborns in neighborhoods with trees.

Read about the new study in Sunday’s Oregonian.

In more than 40 Portland and Vancouver neighborhoods, homeowners can still buy low-cost, high-quality trees from Friends of Trees to improve home values, reduce crime rates, and enhance residents’ health.

–TR