Conservation

60,000 NEW TREES FOR HOUSTON

Nonprofit breaks record with increased distribution.

Houston just got a little greener and cooler. The nonprofit Trees for Houston wrapped up its 2021-22 planting season by shattering its single-season planting number — distributing a record 60,035 trees with a total of 200 plantings and 71 tree distribution events. This number is nearly three times its usual annual total.

Trees for Houston says much of the growth came through its drive-through tree distribution events, for community members to pick up free trees to plant in their yards. During a tree giveaway, an average of 1,000 native trees are distributed in about two hours.

To help meet the growth, Trees for Houston broke ground in April on the Kinder Campus, a centralized tree nursery and education center.

“The trees we plant are living infrastructure and will benefit the community for generations to come,” says Trees for Houston Executive Director Barry Ward. “They act as sound walls, water and air filters, and shade structures. They sequester air pollution, reduce cooling bills, slow down floodwater, fight erosion, cool our summer streets and increase our property values.”

Since its founding in 1983, Trees for Houston has planted more than 740,000 trees across southeast Texas.