We had a fun, busy, and eventful weekend caring for trees! With the summer heat in full swing, our trees need a little extra love and attention, and we were thrilled to have so many enthusiastic volunteers join us for two amazing events.
On Friday, we worked with the Green Zone Environmental Program (GZEP) to host a tree care event for 23 high schoolers. GZEP is designed to educate participants about the sustainability, energy, water, wildlife, and natural resource issues impacting the District. Many of the students we worked with were excited about pursuing environmental studies in college or even working with Casey Trees in the future!
This event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with young environmental stewards and teach them the importance of tree care. We discussed how mulch benefits trees, the need to weed overgrown grass, and why exposing the root flare is important. We worked with the students to mulch about 30 trees.
Then, we were at Highland Dwellings on Saturday, where we had a fantastic time taking care of trees with super excited participants. With a combination of residents, first-time volunteers, and some returning faces, the community worked together to mulch, weed, and care for the neighborhood trees. During the event, some of the Highland Dwellings residents expressed how working with nature helps them to feel grounded and connected to the world.
Even community members who couldn’t participate in the tree care joined us to show support and have some quality conversations. It was wonderful to see everyone come together to care for their environment.
Despite the hot weather, our volunteers were superstars, managing to mulch all 80 trees on site!
Overall, it was an incredible weekend filled with community spirit, learning, and, most importantly, caring for our beloved trees. Thanks to everyone who came out and made these events so special. We can’t wait to see you at the next one!
