Friends of Trees empowers people to improve the natural world around them through a simple solution: Planting Trees. Together.
Friends of Trees is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving Oregon and Southwest Washington. Our mission: to inspire community stewardship of our urban forest by bringing people together to plant and care for urban trees and natural areas.
jumping
We’re growing healthy communities.
Friends of Trees was founded in 1989 by a local community member who loved trees and started planting them in Portland neighborhoods. Today, Friends of Trees is a nationally recognized, regional leader in improving the urban tree canopy and restoring sensitive natural areas—through programs delivered by thousands of volunteers. Friends of Trees greens our region while building community.
Since Friends of Trees was founded by Richard Seidman in 1989, we have planted 600,000+ trees and native plants in 120+ neighborhoods in six counties across two states.
By the numbers! Learn what we did last year by visiting our impact report: Part 1 and Part 2.
Friends of Trees empowers community members to improve the natural world around them through a simple solution: Planting Trees. Together.
NTWestVanGreenwaySquare
Planting street trees in Vancouver, Washington
Neighborhood Tree Plantings
Get a tree of your very own! We organize the planting event, deliver the trees, dig the holes, and make it affordable for all homeowners. We offer an incredible selection of city-approved trees, sourced from almost a dozen local wholesale tree farms. You’ll receive an 6-foot tall tree, delivery, hole digging, planting assistance from neighborhood volunteers, mulch, stakes, and follow-up maintenance checks.
Tree planting volunteers simply sign up, show up dressed for the weather, and get to know the neighbors while greening the neighborhood and enjoying a potluck lunch afterward.
This year we’re planting neighborhood trees in Portland, Vancouver, Oregon City, Salem, Eugene and Springfield.If a planting is scheduled in your neighborhood, you can sign up to see a list of street trees or trees for your yard. You’re never obligated to reserve or plant any trees. Signing up just makes it possible for us to have your planting strip measured and send you a list of recommended trees.
sean planting for GSI page by Chijo Takeda cropped
Restoring green spaces (photo: Chijo Takeda)
Green Space Restoration
Our trained crew leaders guide volunteers at events to restore watersheds, green spaces and sensitive natural areas throughout the Portland-Vancouver, Salem, Eugene-Springfield, and Sandy River Delta areas.
Volunteers of all ages and abilities restore sensitive watersheds and restore wildlife habitat by planting native trees and shrubs, removing invasive plants, and mulching and caring for existing native plants.
A multi-year partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation, Metro and East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District transformed the I-205 Multi-Use Path into a green space with native trees and plants. This 16.5-mile path is used by cyclists, pedestrians, and TriMet travelers, and connects many of Portland’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods.
Friends of Trees is a member of The Rock Creek Partnership, partnering with DigIn! and the Clackamas River Basin Council to offer free streamside restoration to landowners along Rock Creek, a tributary to the Clackamas River. This project is funded by Clackamas County Water Environment Services, on behalf of Clackamas Service District No. 1.
Summer InspectorMulching TreesTree Care & Maintenance
We water. We prune. We mulch. We visit and assess. We want all of our trees to survive and thrive, so we spend summer months caring for the trees we plant.
All told, we care for and monitor more than 53,000 trees a year! We’ll visit our newply planted neighborhood trees twice during their first summers, and we’ll monitor our natural area trees for 10 years.
Restore habitatEngaging Community Volunteers
We bring people together. Inspiring our community members to plant, care for, and learn about trees is the keystone of our mission. We welcome individuals, families, and businesses throughout western Oregon and SW Washington to help restore and beautify our region.
Our work is possible with volunteer support and financial contributions from local municipalities, businesses, and individuals like you.
Friends of Trees is a member of the Coalition for a Livable Future, Alliance for Community Trees, Oregon Community Trees, and EarthShare Oregon. We meet all 20 Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance Standards for charities.
You can download our 2015 Annual Report and our most recently filed 990 here. Our annual reports from previous years are archived here: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014.
Oregon LCB #9233
IRS Tax ID #93-0999999