Free Workshop (and free trees!)

August 22, 2024

https://extension.illinois.edu/events/2024-08-22-rooting-our-urban-forest

Planting the right tree in the right place can enhance your home’s beauty, provide shade, improve air quality, and support local wildlife. While trees are often the largest item in our landscape, many don’t know the best practices to keep their trees in the best health. Join us for this free program to gain knowledge on the best ways to plant, care for, and maintain your tree for maximum health.

New trees can often be cost-prohibitive. Thanks to grants from Constellation and the Mark W. Schwiebert Fund for Environmental Studies, we are pleased to offer this unique opportunity to qualifying homeowners to improve their landscape for generations by giving away free trees. This program is open to everyone interested in learning about tree care, regardless of eligibility for the free trees.

Program Highlights for the Workshop:

• Right Tree, Right Place: Discover how choosing the right tree species can transform your landscape. Emily Swihart, Horticulture Educator from University of Illinois Extension, will provide an overview of tree planting, care, and maintenance. This event is ideal for anyone interested in tree care, selecting the best trees for their landscape, planting and caring for new trees, pruning, and more.
• Free Tree Giveaway: The goal of this grant is not only to educate homeowners on tree care, but to add trees to urban areas most in need in our community. A tree equity score evaluates how equitably trees are distributed in urban areas, considering factors like canopy cover, population density, income, and more. Free trees will be given to homeowners with a tree equity score of 80 or less. (A higher score means better tree coverage.) Check your Tree Equity Score at go.illinois.edu/TreeScore.