The Idea

Openlands offers trees and hands-on education to plant trees with you and your neighbors. Openlands TreePlanters Grants provide new trees to communities in the city of Chicago and the near south suburbs. The grants encourage resiliency both through planting trees and creating or reaffirming a network of neighbors working together. Communities are asked to organize themselves, find sufficient places to plant 15 – 40 trees, meet their neighbors, reach out and invite their elected officials, and create a successful event to learn about benefits of trees and the proper way to plant and maintain their new trees. Openlands provides the education, organization, supplies, expertise, and quality control. On planting day, the Openlands Forestry Crew and certified TreeKeepers will provide tools, trees, mulch and training for volunteers. In return, we ask that you help gather your neighbors, all commit to work the full event (four hours), and keep caring for the trees for the next few years while they get established.

Why it's important

The lack of understanding about the benefits that the urban forest provides has made trees and tree care a low priority. There is a general lack of knowledge and implementation of best practices for urban tree care. New trees and healthy growing trees provide social, environmental, and economic benefits to communities. We need people and institutions to recognize these values so that the region acts to address threats to the urban forest created by reduced municipal budgets, poor maintenance, neglect, and new development, while planning for an urban forest that is resilient to insect/pests/diseases and climate change.