Friends of the Parks

What is Friends of the Parks’ Tree Planting Initiative?

It’s a partnership with the City of Chicago’s Chicago Tree Initiative (CTI).  CTI was established in 2009 by the city to plant thousands of trees over the next several years with the goal to increase the total tree canopy in Chicago from 13% to 20%.  

The aim of the Chicago Tree Initiative is to plant thousands of trees throughout the city: on streets, in parks, and in private yards.  Accomplishing this goal will require the collaboration of many partners. 

Friends of the Parks is a key partner in the Chicago Tree Initiative with our own Tree Planting Initiative.

Friends of the Parks’ Tree Planting Initiative is a program to plant 100 trees in Chicago’s parks and give away 300 more trees to citizens for planting in 2010.

Why Plant Trees?

Planting trees is one of the most beneficial and cost-effective ways to help our urban environment.  Trees help clean our air, and reduce the pollutants that trigger asthma attacks and exacerbate other respiratory diseases. They cool our streets, sidewalks, and homes on hot summer days. Trees encourage neighborhood revitalization. And trees make Chicago an even more beautiful and comfortable place to live, work and visit.

The Chicago Tree Initiative is a city-wide, public-private effort to plant, care for and advocate for trees.  In order to be successful, the city needs the support of everyone, in both public and private sectors.   Every Chicago resident who cares about trees has an important role to play.

The Exelon Challenge Grant

Exelon has provided a generous matching challenge grant of $10,000 to Friends of the Parks to plant 100 trees in Chicago this year.  For every new donation of $100 (or an increase in current membership by at least $100), Exelon will contribute to Friends of the Parks in fulfillment of that pledge.  In this way, your gift to Friends of the Parks can be doubled, and Chicago will get hundreds of new trees in our parks!

What can you do?

• Support Friends of the Parks’ Tree Planting Initiative: Your gift of $100 or more will help us plant 100 new trees in Chicago’s parks to replace old, diseased or storm destroyed trees.  You can become a member of Friends of the Parks, and help us to preserve, protect and improve Chicago’s parks and our tree covering that helps to define our city.  To become a member, Click Here!

•  Have a tree planted in your local park:  Citizens are encouraged to plant trees in Chicago’s parks by participating in the Chicago Park  District’s Green Deed’s Tree Planting program.  More information can be found at: Green Deed Trees CPD

• Volunteer with Friends of the Parks:  Friends of the Parks organizes Community Service Days throughout the year, as well as sponsors the Midwest’s largest Earth Day Parks & Preserves Clean Up every April.  You can help plant or mulch trees by volunteering click here for more information!

• Talk about the importance of our city’s urban forest.  Everyone will share in the many benefits that come from planting trees: – more beautiful neighborhoods and parks; cleaner air and water; higher property values; energy savings; cooler summer streets, yards, plazas and open spaces; and a healthier, more environmentally stable city.