Trees Forever

Growing community forests: Trees Forever helps communities grow and care for their community forests by providing grant funding with friendly and knowledgeable assistance to volunteers and leaders who are interested in planting and caring for Trees and natural areas. Trees Forever provides assistance with disaster preparedness planning and recovery. The massive recovery effort that began after the august 2020 derecho that struck Iowa and Illinois continued in 2022. 4,247 Trees have been planted on street rights-of-way and in parks in the city of cedar rapids since the derecho. Approximately 10,000 Trees have been distributed affordably to residents for private land replanting. Education and volunteer outreach programs are also progressing. Elsewhere, Trees Forever planted approximately 2,000 Trees in the city of des moines. Trees Forever will continue to lead the replanting effort, particularly in cedar rapids, the city with the greatest number of tree loss and damage. Trees Forever is helping prepare teenagers in Iowa for the future workforce through growing futures. Through this youth employment program, high school students in des moines and cedar rapids are hired to plant and care for public Trees. In 2022, 69 students planted 2,896 Trees, watered 15,661 Trees, and provided maintenance to 1,185 Trees while also receiving valuable training while enhancing their workplace readiness. Providing grant funding to encourage community forest improvement: in 2022, 148 projects were awarded funding in communities to plant Trees. More than 9,200 Trees were planted in community forests.

Planting a healthier environment: Trees Forever works with landowers who are committed to planting native Trees and prairie plant species to carry out conservation practices and promote land stewardship to reduce soil erosion, improve water and soil quality and provide wildlife and pollinator habitat. During 2022, 15.5 acres of buffers and conservation plantings were funded, with 362 Trees, seedlings and shrubs, 814 plants and 26 lbs of prairie seed planted with our guidance

Educating people of all ages to care for Trees: Trees Forever provides educational programs that build participants' knowledge of Trees and native plants and how they work together to add beauty, ecological integrity, health and vitality to our homes, schools, farms, and businesses. Trees Forever hosted several webinars and "tree chats" on various topics related to conservation and tree planting and care. The our woodland legacy symposium drew more than 170 attendees to learn new ways to take local action to improve the environment. Finally, 101 people graduated from the treekeepers program, which trains volunteers to support urban forestry in their hometowns.

Landscaping roads & trails: Trees Forever works with volunteers and leaders to make our communities better places for today and for future generations. We do this by leading planning that results in successful projects. In 2022, 10 communities participated in visioning process and more than 1,690 volunteers participated with more than 2,314 hours.