Trees For Houston Wraps Up Planting Season Despite Setbacks from COVID-19

The nonprofit organization planted 13,062 trees around the Greater Houston Area

Nonprofit organization, Trees For Houston wrapped up their planting season with a total of 137 plantings. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak severely impacted the number of trees that the organization could plant this season. Typically, during a planting season – which lasts from October to April – Trees For Houston plants more than 20,000 trees, but this year a total of 13,062 trees were planted throughout the Greater Houston area.

“Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we had to cancel more than 15 volunteer plantings and community outreach events, which would have resulted in 5,000 additional trees being planted this season,” said Barry Ward, executive director of Trees For Houston. “However, we continue to fulfill our mission by planting trees with staff while practicing social distancing. We are continuing to move forward with planning many planting and maintenance projects along with tree giveaways for the fall. With consistent funding, we are confident that our organization will be able to reach our goal of planting and distributing more than 20,000 trees next year.”

This planting season was made possible through the generous commitment from the many volunteers and partner organizations including FedEx, Coca Cola, and Chevron. The trees planted will benefit the community for generations to come by reducing air pollution and storm water runoff, minimizing noise and light pollution, slowing erosion, aiding in reducing stress, and providing food and habitat for the wildlife in the community.

Established in 1983, Trees For Houston’s mission is to plant, protect and promote trees in the Greater Houston area. The organization initially focused its early efforts on planting street trees in the heart of Houston.

But as the city grew, so did the need for strategic, large scale plantings to counteract the impact of expansion on the region’s tree canopy. As the only tree planting organization of its kind in the region, Trees For Houston is the go-to clearing house for trees and source of information for other organizations and Houston residents.

Trees For Houston partners with schools, organizations and corporations to provide free or low-cost trees. They are able to do so by maintaining and operating their own tree farms in Bellaire, North Houston, Magnolia, Spring and Clear Lake year-round.

Since their inception, Trees For Houston has planted more than half a million trees, including irrigation and installation. This equates to significant aesthetic, economic and health benefits for community partners, non-profit organizations, neighborhoods, schools and parks in need throughout our region.