September 2021: Why We Volunteer | Get to know Crew Leading | Celebrate Planting Season

WHY WE COME TOGETHER TO PLANT TREES

Welcome to our 33rd season of planting trees together

In study after study, researchers have found that people who volunteer lead longer, healthier, happier lives.^*

32 years ago Portland resident Richard Seidman got some neighbors together to plant trees. Richard absolutely wanted to help the environment, but he also wanted to do something that involved bringing people together, he wanted to “begin something new that might involve hope and a positive new direction.”

My favorite part was seeing my kids plant trees.

FOT volunteer, November 2020

870,000 trees and native shrubs later, we know without a doubt that community tree planting not only works to both bring people together AND fight climate change, community tree planting is an integral and beloved part of the fabric of our community. This is why when COVID hit we didn’t stop, we pivoted and innovated and worked like heck to ensure that we not only continued to plant thousands of trees, we did so with our community.

I love planting trees and the satisfaction knowing I did something good for the environment.

FOT volunteer, October 2020

As we welcome our 33rd season of planting trees together we’re still pivoting and innovating and working like heck to make community tree planting happen. We’re hosting live and virtual volunteer training events (learn more here!), we’ll continue to implement COVID health + safety protocols, and we are returning (mostly) to how our Saturday morning volunteer tree planting events were pre-COVID:

Our Neighborhood Trees events will feature morning gatherings of groups up to 100 volunteers who break down into small groups to plant street and yard trees. As of now all gatherings will be 100% outdoors and we won’t have a potluck lunch after planting; we hope to have coffee + packaged snacks, but bring what you need please!
Green Space events will host about 50 volunteers at restoration sites, and we’ll increase these numbers as soon as we are able so we can plant even more seedlings and native shrubs in sensitive natural areas. Providing coffee + packaged snacks are also a goal, but bring what you need!

Read More.

^* University of Washington, 2020

Get to Know Crew Leaders

GOOD JOB! I love being a Crew Leader and I love Friends of Trees.

FOT Crew leader

If you are looking for a way to combat climate change and create a more equitable community, you might just be a future Friends of Trees Crew Leader!

If you want to lead the public to plant trees in parks and neighborhoods and you don’t mind working in the mud and rain, then you might be ready to become a Friends of Trees Crew Leader! And we hope you do — all are welcome!

I love being part of this organization and appreciate all the work you do, and how you make it possible for me to contribute in a meaningful way. Thank you.

FOT Crew leader

As a Crew Leader, you will join a friendly family of trained volunteers to lead a safe, positive planting experience for volunteers throughout western Oregon and southwest Washington. If you love being outdoors rain or shine and you believe that everyone deserves equal access to the benefits of trees, this might just be the role for you!

Learn more and register for the required training here. We’d love to welcome you to the Crew Leader Tree Team!

The Eugene Branch

Building a core of volunteers in Lane County

Over the years the Eugene Tree Team has worked to build a core of neighborhood volunteers. These are folks in different neighborhoods who help secure staging sites for planting events, who can help get food donations, who help neighbors select trees, and most importantly, reach out to residents to find locations where neighbors want trees (yep, just like the Neighborhood Coordinators of the Portland office!).

We have some incredible volunteers who have been key to community tree planting in Eugene, and we’re working on identifying active volunteers in Springfield and in as many of the neighborhoods we work in as possible.

Why does this matter? Neighbors talking to neighbors is one of the best ways to spread the good word about trees, and leads to getting more trees planted. Read More.

Would you like a tree of your own? Create a free, no obligation account to get started!

Photo: Eugene volunteers in action!

This October, in celebration of our 33rd season of planting trees together, Friends of Trees is hosting a virtual, month-long celebration on our social media channels. Tune in throughout October for LIVE tree talks, tree walks, and more. Check out the schedule of events here, and join us for some October tree walks!

Get Involved

It’s our 33rd season of planting and caring for trees – JOIN US!

Our volunteer events calendar is up and ready for you!

Here are some of the upcoming events that need volunteers:

October 9, Jackson Bottom, Hillsboro
October 23, Wilsonville neighborhoods
October 30, King’s Bend, Cornelius
October 30, Beaverton neighborhoods

Our events are modified as part of our COVID response to ensure they are as safe and healthy as possible, more information is here.

Register to volunteer here, we can’t wait to plant trees with you!

Friends of Trees inspires people to improve the world around them through a simple solution: Planting Trees. Together.

(503) 282-8846: Portland office

(541) 632-3683: Eugene office

friendsoftrees.org

friendsoftrees.org/eugene

Learn more about how Friends of Trees greens our region + grows community through checking out other issues of Treemail here https://friendsoftrees.org/news-resources/treemail.