Recently, Casey Trees hit an important milestone – one that years ago we could only have dreamed of achieving. As of last week, we have planted more than 5,000 trees – our most ever in a year.
It’s hard to say which tree was indeed our “5,000th Tree”. Was it the London Plane Tree that was planted outside a local business? Was it the Northern Catalpa planted at a school that day? Or perhaps it was one of the three Southern Magnolias planted in a homeowner’s back yard? There is much debate from our planting crew about who exactly put our five thousandth tree in the ground – but all agree that it was a team effort. By the end of the day, everyone celebrated the collective achievement.
And so, it is at year’s end that we look back, to see how far we have come. In the last five years we’ve been able to double our planting efforts to consistently plant over 4,000 trees per year, to the 5,000 tree mark we passed last week. We’ve also been able to do so while continuing to expand our education, advocacy, and conservation efforts. Most notably, this year we were able to host over 100 youth education events and engage with over 2,500 young people – ensuring that future generations will value our trees and green spaces, and share in our mission to restore, enhance, and protect our city’s tree canopy.
Though we celebrate our successes, we still recognize that there is so much work to do. In last year’s Tree Report Card, we saw D.C.’s tree canopy decline for the first time since 2006, from 38% canopy to 37% – an area equal to 565 acres, or roughly the size of the National Mall. This was a major setback to the District’s goal of 40% tree canopy by 2032, but a statistic that renewed urgency for tree planting and tree protection for us and all the organizations with whom we partner.
Behind Casey Trees’ achievements is a network of organizations, community partners, volunteers, and donors, all working in large and small ways to move the needle. Everyone has a role to play; there are no insignificant parts, and we all are responsible for the health of our tree canopy just as we all are the beneficiaries.
To keep us planting, at 5,000 trees and beyond, and to keep striving towards the city’s 40% canopy goal, we need your help. A year-end donation to Casey Trees ensures that D.C. continues to be the “City of Trees”. Any donation amount helps, and all donations support our efforts to restore, enhance, and protect our tree canopy.
