Friends of Trees Volunteer Network

Help us grow a healthier urban forest! Fill out our Quick Survey to let us know how you can plug in.

Resilient Cities and Communities is connecting volunteers by neighborhood to grow a healthy tree canopy with support from a MN DNR ReLeaf Grant. to 30% to keep our homes cool over the summer, improve air quality, lower heat index, intercept rain and provide habitat.

5 simple ways you can make a difference today:

  1. Adopt a boulevard tree: Give a street-side tree the watering and care it needs to thrive. Brewing a Better Forest/
  2. Request a new tree for your yard: Bring more shade, wildlife, and beauty right to your doorstep.
  3. Host a block tree walk: Gather your neighbors for a casual stroll to learn about the trees on your block.
  4. Help at a community tree planting event: Roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty putting new roots in NE soil.
  5. Join us for our Summer Volunteer Meet Up! Come meet fellow tree lovers, talk strategy, and hang out.
Mpls Friends of TreesDownload

  • Get more boulevard trees adopted to be watered once a week for the first 3 years in partnership with Brewing a Better Forest (with text/email reminders) and Tree Watering Parties with MPRB Tree Stewards to water all the new trees on a bock and reach out to adjacent home owners to adopt their trees.  
  • Support neighbors participating in the tree sale to plant their tree well, mulch and water.

Four Neighborhood Tree Canopy Pilot Project

  • With support from a DNR ReLeaf Grant RCC’s Collaborative Neighborhood Tree Canopy Campaign will support 4 neighborhoods associations to connect block club volunteers, tree stewards, tree ambassadors and Certified Arborists to work together to expand the tree canopy in their highest need census tracts. (June 2026 to June 2027) Southside Nokomis East Neighborhood Assoc (NENA) Phillips – Midtown-East Phillips, NE Columbia Park (CPNA) and Marshall Terrace (MTNO)  Northside – Near North/Willard Hay (NRRC)
RCC 4 NeighborhoodTreeCanopy_DNR_ReLeaf_ProjectDownload

Volunteers Planted 16 new Trees at Harrison Park

Thank You Volunteers for Planting new 16 Trees at Harrison Park

With Birch Tree, Project Sweetie Pie, RCC, and MPRB

TWO GREAT RESOURCES

Subscribe to MnSTAC’s weekly newsletter, which pulls together current news and opportunities surrounding Minnesota community forestry.http://www.mnstac.org/news–events.html

Hennepin County Urban Community Forestry is hosting a wonderful educational serries with their next one being on https://beheardhennepin.org/urban-community-forestry
 Tree planting and selection webinarThursday, May 23 from 6 to 7 p.m.Get insight on how to select the right tree(s) for your property and learn techniques from the experts for planting bare root, containerized, and balled and burlap trees.Register on Zoom(External link).

Ask an Arborist: Fruit Tree Pests and Pathogens- Saturday Sept 6th

  • Ask an Arborist: Fruit Tree Pests and Pathogens- Saturday Sept 6th
  • Noon to 1:15pm East Phillips Park (2307 17th Ave S.)
  • 1:30pm to 3pm East Phillips Garden – (2428 17th Ave S) Eat a free lunch, look at the fruit trees, and ask questions about your own fruit trees!
  • Please RSVP https://secure.everyaction.com/-6TFRFhdkUWimRBBfBolUg2

Let’s co-organize Quarterly city-wide neighborhood forestry outreach meet ups (in person or zoom) with community groups working on community forestry with RCC, Tree Trust, Mpls Green Teams U of MN, Minneapolis, MPRB and Hennepin Co.

  • learning from experienced, successful neighborhoods (i.e. Loring Park)
  • sharing outreach materials and strategies
  • connecting with trained Urban Tree Care Advocate volunteers
  • to make most of all the new federal forestry funds being invested to replace 100,000 ash trees in our neighborhoods.

 Please call or email me  Sean Gosiewski RCC 612 250-0389 sean@rccmn.co to let me know if you would also be interested in attending (and the staff and volunteers can add to our invitation list)