The Branching Out program will plant 300 trees throughout six Dallas parks from February through April 2022.
DALLAS, TX (February 25, 2022) – Six Dallas parks are slated to receive 50 new trees this spring as part of the Branching Out planting program led by the Dallas Park and Recreation and coordinated in collaboration with Texas Trees Foundation. The park plantings are open to the public and volunteers are invited to help increase Dallas’ tree canopy coverage by helping to plant trees at selected neighborhood parks. Interested volunteers can register online here.
“We value our longtime partnership with the foundation and appreciate all they do to enhance our parks and green spaces with lifesaving trees,” said John D. Jenkins, director, Dallas Park and Recreation. “They help us keep more than 3,000 trees at 40 parks healthy by coordinating tree planting projects, and sharing planting and tree care expertise with passionate volunteers. They truly are ambassadors rooted in their commitment to making Dallas parks better,” Jenkins said.
Spring plantings will occur on the following dates at the following parks:
March 5: Willoughby Park
March 8: Seaton Park
March 11: College Park
March 19: Lawnview Park
April 2: Campbell Green Park
TBA: Bishop Flores Park
The Branching Out program began in 2018, in an effort to reforest and beautify Dallas’ aging urban canopy. For each planting the Dallas Park and Recreation, the Texas Trees Foundation, organizational donors, and community volunteers work collaboratively to strategically plant trees with the intentions to increase the current Dallas tree canopy coverage, while providing shade and other health benefits.
“It is vital that we work together to preserve and replenish damaged and unhealthy trees in our park system. It is so important that the City of Dallas has created a reforestation fund that allows us to have access to a variety of native trees that are adaptable to different park environments,” Jenkins added.
“We value the opportunity to plant trees at six parks this spring,” said Janette Monear CEO of Texas Trees Foundation. “Together with our partners we are working to increase tree canopy that will make an impactful difference in the community, a difference that will last for generations to come.”
Trees cool the surfaces of their surrounding environment through shade and offer additional ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, air pollution removal, energy savings, and stormwater savings.
For more information on Texas Trees Foundation and the Dallas Park and Recreation’s Branching Out program, visit www.texastrees.org and www.dallasparks.org. You can also follow Texas Trees Foundation on Instagram at www.instagram.com/texastreesfoundation, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/texastrees, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/texas_trees. You can also follow Dallas Park & Recreation on Instagram at www.instagram.com/dallasparkrec, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DallasParkRec/, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/dallasparkrec.
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About Texas Trees Foundation
Celebrating 40 years of addressing urban forestry issues in Dallas, Texas Trees Foundation has served as a catalyst in creating a reimagined green legacy for North Texas. Scientific research has led our vision to transform outdoor spaces and to educate the public of the social, economic, environmental, and health benefits provided through urban forestry. With our current programs, such as NeighborWoods and Cool Schools, Texas Trees Foundation is taking action to mitigate urban heat through the preservation and expansion of natural green spaces, made possible by tree planting.
Since 1982, Texas Trees Foundation has continued to advocate for a cleaner, greener, and healthier Texas. With the intentions of transforming and enhancing outdoor spaces, the Foundation has implemented projects and programs that are driven by scientific research. Recent studies published by the Foundation include the 2015 State of the Dallas Urban Forest Report, 2017 Urban Heat Island Management Study, and the 2021 Dallas Urban Forest Master Plan – which was adapted by the Dallas City Council in Summer 2021. For more information on Texas Trees Foundation and its programs and projects, visit www.texastrees.org.
About Dallas Park and Recreation
The Dallas Park and Recreation Department provides diverse leisure and recreational options year-round for all ages. We are committed to caring for Dallas’ parks, trails and open spaces. Through our Branching Out activities, we are working to increase Dallas’ tree canopy to 37% by 2040. We work with diverse partners to plant trees in a way that is inclusive and equitable for the citizens of Dallas. Find us and more information at DallasParks.org