Arborist Partner of Friends of Trees

On a recent rare sunny winter day, For The Love Of Trees teamed up with Friends of Trees to plant native trees and shrubs along the Tualatin river. This project was designed to improve water quality and habitat.

Dozens of community members turned out to plant several species under the guidance of the volunteer crew leaders. After breakfast treats and introductions, volunteers were efficiently sorted into teams, given planting guidance and tools and directed to the riverbank to plant hundreds of native potted plants at specific locations designated by color-coded stakes. Once planted, the young trees and shrubs were encircled with coconut mats and deeply mulched with bark chips to improve their chances of surviving to maturity.

Volunteers for Friends of Trees have planted hundreds of thousands of trees in the Portland-Vancouver area since 1989.  They plant and care for trees in neighborhoods and green spaces to improve our region’s natural environment and build community.  As an Arborist Partner of Friends of Trees, For The Love Of Trees has been involved in several of the organization’s plantings.  The mission, planning and enthusiasm of the work crews were evident at all of them.  Because Friends of Trees partners with several other environmental and neighborhood organizations, the specific goal of each planting event varies along with the species planted.

Friends of Trees hosts volunteer planting events all over the Portland area throughout the winter and spring planting seasons. In addition to the tree planters, there are volunteer roles for a variety of skills including plant deliveries, neighborhood coordinators and crew leaders. Want to volunteer to green our community, too? Friends of Trees’ planting schedule is on their website along with all of the information you need to get started planting trees with this active organization.