Stories

TreesCharlotte

Charlotte is known as “The City of Trees” thanks to our city’s remarkable tree canopy. TreesCharlotte actively plants and gives away trees to ensure the continued health and well-being of our canopy and to account for on-going growth and development in our city. Trees clean our air, reduce stormwater run-off, cool our streets, reduce energy usage in our homes, increase property values, and give us beauty.

TreesCharlotte’s vision is 50% canopy coverage, city-wide acceptance of responsibility to plant and care for trees with sustained funding to continue the mission from generation to generation.

We chatted with Beth Brodie of TreesCharlotte to learn more about how their nonprofit is impacting Charlotte in a big way for our #SpotlightOnCLT Great Outdoors series.

What would you like the community to know about the challenges your organization is trying to solve?

Charlotte's iconic tree canopy is diminishing, and protecting and increasing the number of trees in our city is paramount. Trees are nature's gift: they help improve air quality, cool our streets, reduce stormwater run-off, reduce energy use, enhance physical and mental wellness, increase property values, and give us beauty. TreesCharlotte takes a proactive approach to ensure the continued health and well-being of our tree canopy, actively planting and distributing thousands of trees to mitigate the effects of growth, development, and tree loss in our city.

What is your organization’s role in the community?

TreesCharlotte is a public/private nonprofit collaboration dedicated to growing, diversifying and caring for the city’s iconic urban forest. Trained volunteers and science-based programs teach residents about the value of trees and how to plant and care for them. We strive to plant and distribute at least 5,000 trees each year and to educate our citizens about the importance of a strong urban canopy and lead sustainability efforts through tree care events to maintain and protect the trees we’ve planted.

We love impact stories, could you share one?

Juliana Demicco recently reflected on what being a volunteer at TreesCharlotte means to her: “The TreesCharlotte volunteers are at the heart of what the organization does and the team consistently works to foster a sense of community within its volunteers. The tactical execution of taking action to fight for this cause is inspiring and consistently makes me feel like I’m a part of the change I want to see. TreesCharlotte works to make an impact at a larger scale, but it’s the individual impact that keeps me getting up before dawn on Saturday mornings. When you see different people of all sorts of ages coming out to spend a portion of their Saturdays to learn how to plant a tree and make our world just a little greener. We’re investing in a cleaner Earth for the generations to come, and it’s heartwarming to see the varied people who show up; from the young kids stomping around to tamp down the soil to those folks who’ve been here for a bit and keep coming back again and again to do their part.”

About the image pictured above: Volunteers who participate in our TreeCare events work together to care for adolescent trees we planted at schools, houses of worship, neighborhoods, area nonprofits, and other locales throughout Charlotte. Caring for the trees we’ve planted is an important sustainability effort that will help ensure that the trees grow to increase Charlotte’s tree canopy. Training is provided at each event on trees and proper care techniques.

Contact:Beth Brodie

Email: beth@treescharlotte.org