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New initiative underway to add thousands of trees to Northeast Ohio

Posted at 2:22 PM, Mar 28, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-28 14:22:35-04

CLEVELAND — Spring is officially in full swing and you can help our region go green by sowing the seeds of a local campaign.

Holden Forests & Gardens started the “People for Trees” initiative this year and the organization has a simple ask, make a pledge to plant one tree and take care of it.

“We know that across the region, in Cleveland, in the suburbs and rural areas, we're losing more trees than we plant each year. And so a very important thing that we can do to combat the local effects of climate change is to plant and protect trees in our yards,” said Sandra Albro, Community Partnerships Director at Holden Forests & Gardens.

Right now, they’ve had more than 600 people pledge to plant at least one tree, bringing the total to more than 1,500 trees that will be planted. But the organization’s overall goal is to grow to new heights.

“Our goal for the overall campaign is 15,000 trees by 2025. So that breaks down to be about 3,000 trees per year,” said Albro.

Albro also said that Holden Forests & Gardens has research scientists, tree care specialists --called arborists --and teachers who are experts in trees; so they wanted to use their experts and unique position in the region to help solve a huge community problem.

You can make your pledge to plant a tree on the Holden Forests & Gardens website. You’ll also receive a guide with recommendations for trees that do well in Northeast Ohio and a tool kit with information on where to buy your tree and how to take care of it.