The 2025 Canopy Awards, which took place last week at the Riggs Hotel in downtown DC, was a night of celebration, reflection, and new beginnings. Under the theme “Planting Our Legacy, Growing Our Future,” the event honored community champions—Barbara Shea, Joyce Matthews, Dr. David Nowak, and Roger Buckner—for their outstanding contributions to urban forestry, education, research, and sustainability.
A key highlight was the release of the latest Tree Report Card, which tracks Washington, DC’s progress toward its ambitious 40% tree canopy goal. The report provides a detailed assessment of the city’s urban forest, spotlighting both achievements and areas for renewed focus, and serves as a strategic tool for guiding future planting, preservation, and education efforts. Canopy Award attendees got a sneak peek of the Tree Report Card, which was released more broadly on Arbor Day.
This year’s Canopy Awards also marked a significant milestone in Casey Trees’ history, highlighting the transition of our executive leadership and honoring Mark Buscaino for his nearly two decades of service. We recognized Mark’s transformative leadership from 2006 to today, during which Casey Trees expanded from a small team into a regional force with 60 staff members, a 700-acre tree nursery, and expanded programming throughout the organization. His vision and dedication were instrumental in launching the city’s goal of achieving a 40% tree canopy and establishing the annual Tree Report Card, which has helped shape the organization’s mission and impact. The board unanimously chose Andrew Schichtel, our current COO and a 15-year veteran of the organization, as the new Executive Director. This seamless transition ensures that Casey Trees remains committed to its mission of restoring, enhancing, and protecting the region’s tree canopy while inspiring a new chapter of growth and community engagement.
Overall, the evening was not only a celebration of our honorees and leadership, but a recognition of all the volunteers, donors, partners, community organizations, and advocates who make our work possible. We couldn’t plant, care for, and protect our tree canopy without the collective effort of our closest allies and friends.
See below for a few more pictures from the night, with more to come! And if you haven’t already watched our honorees’ impact videos, go to caseytrees.org/canopyawards!
