Tree-Plenish

Sigurd Olsen, one of the first environmentalists in the US, when asked what his hope for the world was, answered: “You. You are the new generation…This is a sapling, right beside is one of these enormous red pines. This sapling epitomizes you and the hope of the world!” Tree-Plenish is the new generation of young people working towards a more sustainable future while engaging communities from around the country and making environmentalism attainable for all. The student-led nonprofit works with student leaders from schools across the country to host tree planting events and make their communities more sustainable. 

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Tree-Plenish has seen tremendous growth over the last year, with an almost three-fold increase in its impact. This past year, students from 40 states teamed up with Tree-Plenish to host 300 tree-planting events across the nation. They organized the planting of 49,405 saplings, compared to the 19,787 saplings planted through 85 events during the 2020-2021 school year. Tree-Plenish’s primary goal is to inspire students to be climate changemakers in their community. The growth in tree plantings and events over the last few years shows how this goal is being realized. Students are becoming increasingly eager to take the initiative and lead their schools into a more sustainable future.

One such initiative was led by students from Centaurus High School and several other schools in the Boulder, Colorado area. These students organized the planting of nearly two thousand trees to help offset the destruction caused by fires that occurred there early this year. Further, Tree-Plenish worked with schools in suburban areas where the lack of trees on private property has grown immensely due to rapid development occurring in recent years. Cities around the country have been affected by environmental distress, and by planting trees, Tree-Plenish participants have both improved the environment and inspired others to take part in sustainability. 

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Tree-Plenish has also expanded its efforts to reach students in communities that need trees the most through the Environmental Equity Fund (EEF). As research has shown, trees in urban areas absorb harmful emissions from the air, cool hot city streets, and promote good mental and physical health for urban residents. However, not all communities are able to afford the creation of green areas. EEF supports schools in urban and low-income communities where the cost of purchasing a sapling may pose a barrier against local residents’ participation. During our 2021-22 event season, $20,020 was distributed to 51 schools and funded the planting of 3,629 saplings. One student from Casco Bay High School (Maine), a school that received support from the fund, remarked that being a part of Tree-Plenish “means more than donating a tree. It’s donating a green space for everyone to enjoy”, as they wouldn’t have the opportunity to do so otherwise. Trees are incredibly valuable in improving a community, and the Environmental Equity Fund has allowed many people to enjoy these benefits. As Sigurd Olsen observed, the new generation has come together to make communities of all types healthier and more sustainable. Tree-Plenish will continue to be an avenue for more student changemakers to create the communities they want to live in.