Trees Forever Inc

TREES FOREVER MISSION IS TO PLANT AND CARE FOR TREES AND THE ENVIRONMENT BY EMPOWERING PEOPLE, BUILDING COMMUNITY, AND PROMOTING STEWARDSHIP.

GROWING COMMUNITY FORESTS: TREES FOREVER HELPS COMMUNITIES GROW AND CARE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY FORESTS BY PROVIDING GRANT FUNDING WITH FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE ASSISTANCE TO VOLUNTEERS AND LEADERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PLANTING AND CARING FOR TREES AND NATURAL AREAS. TREES FOREVER PROVIDES ASSISTANCE WITH DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANNING AND RECOVERY. THE MASSIVE RECOVERY EFFORT THAT BEGAN AFTER THE AUGUST 2020 DERECHO THAT STRUCK IOWA AND ILLINOIS CONTINUED IN 2021, WITH TREES FOREVER DISTRIBUTING 7,117 AFFORDABLE TREES TO RESIDENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN AREAS OF GREATEST NEED. TREES FOREVER ALSO PROVIDED EXPERT GUIDANCE AND GRANT DOLLARS TO COMMUNITIES EFFECTED BY THE DERECHO TO ACCELERATE RECOVERY. TREES FOREVER WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD THE REPLANTING EFFORT, PARTICULARLY IN CEDAR RAPIDS, THE CITY WITH THE GREATEST NUMBER OF TREE LOSS AND DAMAGE. TREES FOREVER IS HELPING PREPARE TEENAGERS IN IOWA FOR THE FUTURE WORKFORCE THROUGH GROWING FUTURES. THROUGH THIS YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DES MOINES AND CEDAR RAPIDS ARE HIRED TO PLANT AND CARE FOR PUBLIC TREES. IN 2021, 63 STUDENTS PLANTED 1,668 TREES, WATERED 15,661 TREES, AND PROVIDED MAINTENANCE TO 1,185 TREES WHILE ALSO RECEIVING VALUABLE TRAINING IN SOFT SKILLS SUCH AS TIME MANAGEMENT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION. PROVIDING GRANT FUNDING TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY FOREST IMPROVEMENT: IN 2021, 204 PROJECTS WERE AWARDED FUNDING IN COMMUNITIES TO PLANT TREES. MORE THAN 5,537 TREES WERE PLANTED IN COMMUNITY FORESTS.

EDUCATING PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO CARE FOR TREES: TREES FOREVER PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT BUILD PARTICIPANTS' KNOWLEDGE OF TREES AND NATIVE PLANTS AND HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER TO ADD BEAUTY, ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY, HEALTH AND VITALITY TO OUR HOMES, SCHOOLS, FARMS, AND BUSINESSES. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED TREES FOREVER TO SHIFT A LARGE SHARE OF TRAINING PROGRAMS ONLINE. THIS HAS ALLOWED PEOPLE FROM EVERYWHERE TO PARTICIPATE, THUS EXPANDING THE REACH AND IMPORTANCE OF TREES FOREVER'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. CAPITALIZING ON THIS NEW OPPORTUNITY, TREES FOREVER INCREASED THE CADENCE OF ITS TRAINING PROGRAMS IN 2021, HOSTING SEVERAL SHORT WEBINARS AND "TREE CHATS" ON VARIOUS TOPICS RELATED TO CONSERVATION AND TREE PLANTING AND CARE.

PLANTING A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT: TREES FOREVER WORKS WITH LANDOWERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO PLANTING NATIVE TREES AND PRAIRIE PLANT SPECIES TO CARRY OUT CONSERVATION PRACTICES AND PROMOTE LAND STEWARDSHIP TO REDUCE SOIL EROSION, IMPROVE WATER AND SOIL QUALITY AND PROVIDE WILDLIFE AND POLLINATOR HABITAT. DURING 2021, 55 ACRES OF BUFFERS AND CONSERVATION PLANTINGS WERE FUNDED, WITH 1,536 TREES AND SHRUBS, 613 PLANTS AND 226 LBS OF PRAIRIE SEED PLANTED WITH OUR GUIDANCE

LANDSCAPING ROADS & TRAILS: TREES FOREVER WORKS WITH VOLUNTEERS AND LEADERS TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES BETTER PLACES FOR TODAY AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. WE DO THIS BY LEADING PLANNING THAT RESULTS IN SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS. IN 2021, 12 COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATED IN VISIONING PROCESS AND MORE THAN 1,568 VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED WITH MORE THAN 22,660 HOURS.