MAY 2025: SUMMER ACTIVITIES | WATERING | FRUITS & NUTS

HOT TREE CARE SUMMER

Our planting season is from October to April, but folks at Friends of Trees keep plenty busy in the summer. We’re planning for the season ahead of course, but we’re also checking in on the trees and native plants in the ground. And we’re kicking off our summer pruning program!

You might see our Green Space team out in natural areas making sure the native plants are properly mulched and not getting overcrowded with weeds. You might see some of our neighborhood field technicians out in the community watering trees. Or you might see some of our staff at community events connecting with folks who want to plant trees at their homes!

For volunteers, now is the time of year that our summer tree inspectors are visiting young trees to see how they’re faring. Summer Inspectors learn how to assess the health of newly-planted street and yard trees and give homeowners watering and mulching tips. Being a Summer Inspector gives you a chance to meet your neighbors and to help them take care of their trees during the critical first summer after planting.

One of the most important things inspectors check for is if a tree is getting enough water. Young trees require regular, deep watering (15 gallons, once per week). Young trees have a limited root system and can’t reach deeper into the soil to find water.

“Water is one of the three components of photosynthesis, along with sunlight and carbon dioxide, and it’s the only one we can control,” says Community Tree Care Coordinator Litzy Venturi. “Trees can’t make food without it.” We also work to send watering reminders to all tree recipients and helpful feedback after their trees get inspected

Think of this Treemail as another watering reminder! Have you been watering your tree?

Read more here.

SUMMER SNACK TIME

The Eugene Team talks fruits & Nuts

It’s summer, which means trees are in their pure growing season. They’re soaking up the sun’s energy and using it to grow, and many are developing fruits and nuts. Trees are amazing for so many reasons, and one of them is that they grow food for us to eat, which is pretty magical when you think about it.

“It’s super important for people to be able to grow food for themselves,” says Eugene Director Erik Burke. “Sometimes people can see fruit trees as messy, but I think we can shift that thinking.”

Erik was recently visiting a street with a row of Lavalle hawthorns, which produce bright red berries. A man approached him and told him how much he loves to harvest the berries from those trees.

“He was giddy about the berries,” Erik says. “It was so awesome.” Erik points out that in addition to the fruit trees you’d expect like cherry and apple trees, trees like oaks and hawthorns provide food to both people and wildlife. Fruits and nuts are one of the ways that trees can reproduce, and they rely on the cooperation of the ecosystem to make it happen. The tree provides a tasty snack and the animal spreads the genetic material within. Humans have been looking to trees for sustenance for millennia.

The Eugene-Springfield team hopes in the future to offer more fruit and nut trees for people to plant at their homes. Figs in particular are a climate resilient tree that don’t need watering after they’re established. Chestnut and walnut trees are planted as bareroots, making them an affordable and sustainable option to get from local nurseries.

Read more here.

LOOK FOR US THIS SUMMER!

We’ll have staff at community events throughout the region looking to connect with you!

Find us this summer at community events, where we’ll be on hand to chat and share planting and volunteer opportunities! Garry might even make an appearance!

Here’s where you can connect with us in July:

• July 12, Cedar Hills Farmers Market
• July 12, Mt. Hood Community College Farmers Market
• July 17, Aloha Farmers Market
• July 22, Hillsboro Night Market

STEWARDSHIP & CARING

NW Natural’s partnership helped Friends of Trees reach and celebrate 1,000,000 trees & native plants

NW Natural has partnered with Friends of Trees for over a decade, so it made perfect sense for them to collaborate with us for our millionth tree season. They sponsored 10 community tree planting events, bringing together hundreds of people to plant thousands of trees and native plants.

Two of NW Natural’s core values are environmental stewardship and caring, both of which they find in the partnership with Friends of Trees.

We’re proud to support Friends of Trees because they’re a partner who exemplifies what caring can look like—bringing together volunteers to plant trees that will have a long-lasting impact for our communities.”

– Sama Shagaga, community affairs at NW Natural

NW Natural also organized a day for its employees to volunteer at a Friend of Trees event this spring, connecting employees who don’t often get to work with each other. They joined Friends of Trees at Bagley Park in downtown Hillsboro for an awesome day of planting.

“When employees go out to projects they get to accomplish something as a team,” Sama says. “They get to walk away knowing they’ve made an impact.”

Our millionth tree celebration and planting event could not have been as successful without the support of NW Natural, who provided tenting and catering for the 200 attendees at the party at our office in Portland. It was a quintessentially Friends of Trees event, a perfect marker for this milestone for the organization, our partners, and the community.

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

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

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(541) 632-3683: Eugene office

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