Build community and canopy
TreesCharlotte partners with qualifying neighborhoods, schools, houses of faith, athletic associations and other non-profit organizations to host tree-planting and tree-giveaway events. These organized events can be a great way to build camaraderie, beautify our community and add to the city’s canopy.
Ideal applicants will have:
- 55 percent or less tree canopy coverage (as determined by the 2012 tree canopy assessment)
- Ability to plant and/or give away at least 15 trees during the event
- Leadership excited to work with TreesCharlotte
If your NeighborWoods application is approved, TreesCharlotte will help you create an amazing day!
Note: Applications for the 2019-20 planting season are closed, but we are accepting applications for 2020-21 until May 1, 2020.
NeighborWoods options
Tree planting event
Do you have common spaces in your neighborhood where you’d love to see some beautiful trees? Or maybe your school, house of faith or other non-profit space needs more canopy or flowering trees? A TreesCharlotte tree planting event could be the solution for you!
If you’re approved for a tree planting, we’ll work with you to ensure the right trees go in the right places. We’ll work with you months in advance on a planting plan and enlisting volunteers for the event. On the actual planting day, we’ll provide the trees, mulch and equipment as well as TreeMasters to lead volunteers on how to properly plant the trees. In less than 2 hours, you’ll have created a beautiful urban forest!
Please note: We cannot provide trees required by the city of Charlotte under the tree ordinance. We are, however, happy to work with non-profit entities on trees that go above and beyond what is legally required.
Tree giveaway
If your community applies for a tree giveaway (which can happen in addition to a planting), we’ll bring trees for residents to plant on their private properties. We’ll work with you months in advance on the marketing and registration process. On the day of the giveaway, our TreeMasters will lead all recipients on a short tree planting and maintenance clinic. All tree recipients are expected to sign a pledge to care for the trees after planting. Tree giveaways are often 1 hour or shorter.
Our trees
We love our trees, and we think you will, too!
Our trees are sourced from three different N.C. growers and are either native or known to thrive in this region.
We offer small, medium and large maturing varieties. We’ll work with you on appropriate species for your organization’s needs.
The trees are 3-4 years old, potted in 7-gallon containers and are about 6 to 10 feet tall at planting.
Cost
Free trees: Neighborhoods where the median home value is $182,000 or less will qualify for free trees, as determined by home sales data detailed in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg Quality of Life Explorer.
$10 trees: Neighborhoods over that $182,000 threshold will be asked to donate $10/tree.
Who qualifies?
Neighborhoods: If your neighborhood is in the city limits of Charlotte, it’s a candidate. Often a NeighborWoods event begins with a resident who is passionate about trees. TreesCharlotte will work with that person on how to rally neighborhood buy-in. In cases where there’s an HOA, we require its approval before we move forward.
Schools: We love working with all schools, whether they’re private, charter, CMS or other! If there’s a school you would like us to consider, please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch.
Other organizations: One of our primary areas of focus is planting trees in underserved communities. In the past, we’ve partnered with Renaissance West Community Initiative to plant trees, created a community fruit orchard at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and planted 150 trees for the Steele Creek Athletic Association. If you’re a part of a non-profit that needs trees, we would love to work with you. Just fill out the interest form.
For-profit organization: If you are a for-profit business that would like to host a TreeStore or have us help you plant your campus, please reach out directly to Jen@TreesCharlotte.org.
Watering and care
In most cases, once a neighborhood/non-profit/etc. receives TreesCharlotte trees, it is responsible for the trees’ long-term care. Trees need about 5 gallons of water/week, and during hot, dry months that will require intentional watering. Please keep this potential cost in mind when applying to our NeighborWoods program. TreesCharlotte can recommend a watering professional to provide you a quote.
Is your community under-canopied but needs less than 15 trees?
We suggest you and some of your neighbors attend one of our free community TreeStores, which we hold multiple times during the planting season.
Are you looking for trees just for your yard?
If you are interested in adding trees to only your property, we also encourage you to check out our free TreeStore schedule, which is intended for individual residents.
Questions?
Email TreesCharlotte Community Engagement Officer .
Benefits of Neighborhood Plantings
Neighborhoods projects help communities by:
Improving property values
Studies show that property values of homes with trees are 5% to 20% higher than similar properties without trees. Source: Arbor Day FoundationBeautification
Trees provided through NeighborWoods are 6 to 10 feet tall, providing instant beautification and inspiration for additional curb appeal improvements.Cooling urban areas
Shade provided by trees has a direct cooling effect on the air temperature for nearby sidewalks, roads, houses and parks.Improving air quality
High temperatures escalate the production of smog and other pollutants. Trees help by reducing the air temperature through shading and carbon monoxide absorption.Reducing traffic speeds
Tree-lined roads provide a sense of enclosure, which causes motorists to drive more slowly and carefully.Energy conservation
By producing shade, trees help conserve energy as they intercept radiant heat.Noise reduction
Trees and shrubs are effective buffers in screening out urban noise.Wildlife habitat
Trees provide critical habitat for birds and diverse wildlife in the urban area.
Praise for TreesCharlotte
"I wanted to drop you a note to tell you what a great success the TreesCharlotte event was at Stone Creek Ranch. All the preplanning and the teamwork displayed created an environment conducive to success plus we had a lot of fun doing it. Your team did a fantastic job in making sure we secured the trees requested and the coordination with the actual planting of the trees was flawless. Best of luck to you and your team at all future events."
"Where did all those trees come from?" That was the response so many of our students gave as they arrived on campus Monday morning! Thank you to TreesCharlotte, The Charlotte Observer and the countless volunteers that made this a reality. Because of you, the impact on this campus and this community will last for the next 100 years!"
"As a recipient of two trees at Sedgefield Elementary I want to commend you and the staff for a well organized and informative event. Everything including registration, a description of the trees, the instruction of proper tree planting and overall assistance was first rate. I manage a couple of non-profits and know how much time and attention is required to properly orchestrate public events. You guys did a great job."
"We are so grateful for the two Maple trees that TreesCharlotte donated to Park Road Montessori. Our school naturalist, Charlotte Fletcher, planted these two trees with the assistance of some of our older students. We planted these trees together outside of two of our classrooms, near our lunchtime picnic tables. Our students, teachers and parents will enjoy watching these trees grow and become part of our daily space. We value our outdoor area and classroom gardens, the maple trees just add so much to our space. Thank you for providing this treasured gift to our school."
"Winget Park Elementary has some new additions, thanks to the school’s Nature Club and TreesCharlotte. Despite the wet weather this past Saturday, 75 volunteers came out and planted 153 trees on the school campus."
"Thanks to each of you for all that you are doing for Charlotte and Park Ridge community! Residents of our neighborhood to include my family, came out to the event this past Saturday to pick up trees. This is a beautiful time of the year and we all will be reminded of the commitment of your organization and personal care you have shown us for many years to come."
Neighborhood Planting FAQs
