Trees for Houston Fights to Keep the City’s Green Canopy Alive
An Appreciation for a Most Vital Nonprofit
BY Shelby Hodge // 01.02.20Cedar Elms, Loblolly Pines and Mexican Sycamores are among the native trees planted each year. (Photo by Trees for Houston)
As we head into 2020, I, as a devoted tree-hugger, wish to take a moment of personal privilege to congratulate Trees for Houston for its remarkable year of greening in the city that is losing trees faster than Boeing is losing customers. During the 2018-2019 planting season, the nonprofit enriched the city’s green canopy by planting 21,240 native trees, with 9,331 of those given root in the 2019 June to December planting season.
Applause, applause for the effort at reducing the impact of developers, highway designers and home builders immune to the devastation of tree loss. With the preservation, if not in fact, the growing of Houston’s historic green canopy as its goal, Trees for Houston should be congratulated for its efforts.
Since its founding in 1983, Trees for Houston has planted Live Oaks, Cedar Elms, Mexican Sycamores, Loblolly Pines and more throughout the Greater Houston area with a total of 590,000 trees planted during that 36-year period. Today, the trees are offered at no cost or low cost through the year-round operation the nonprofit’s tree farms in Bellaire, North Houston, Magnolia, Spring and Clear Lake.
The most recent plantings have been made possible through the commitment of volunteers and 33 partner organizations including Chevron, Aramco and CenterPoint. On any given weekend across the city, volunteers in their company T-shirts are on their knees planting the much-needed trees.
“Our partners and volunteers are an integral part of the organization and allow us to continue expanding the green canopy in the Greater Houston area,” Trees For Houston executive director, Barry Ward said in a statement. “The trees we plant are living infrastructure. They act as sound walls, water and air filters and shade structures. They sequester air pollution, reduce cooling bills, slow down floodwater, fight erosion, cool our summer streets and increase our property values.”
Likewise, the trees provide food and habitat for wildlife in the community.
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An example of tree planting locations in the most recent season? Memorial Park, Bear Creek Park, Spotts Park and six elementary schools to name a few. Corporate participation included Insperity, EY, Bank of America, Toshiba, Sunday Riley and more.
Click through the slideshow below for photos of Trees for Houston at work:
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