TreesLouisville

Our goal is to ensure that the public and private investment in increasing Louisville's community tree canopy is done strategically and collaboratively and to provide a framework for supporting and coordinating existing tree planting organizations and efforts.

We are working to identify and establish partnerships with large landowners within Jefferson County who may not typically be involved in tree planting efforts. For example, we have partnered with the Jefferson County Public School system to begin tree planting projects on dozens of campuses. These projects have the effect of increasing the overall tree canopy, as well as creating awareness and educational opportunities for the students, teachers, family members and neighbors within the community.

Education is an essential component of our mission; through increased awareness and understanding of the value of the urban tree canopy, we believe we can foster a new generation of environmental stewards who will continue to care for and grow our tree canopy for decades to come.

TreesLouisville designs projects with the intent of making them mutually beneficial to the property owner and our mission. We plan for the long term, ensuring the sustainability of our plantings, and develop enduring relationships with the organizations, businesses and individuals with whom we work.

We educate and build public awareness in a number of ways: through our public engagement media campaigns, we are able to reach out to the greater Louisville population. We have developed a tree-themed science curriculum unit that has been implemented into every 8th grade science class in the Jefferson County Public School system -- students will learn to identify, measure and calculate the ecosystem benefits of trees in their community and gain a greater understanding of the value of trees as urban infrastructure.

Since our founding, TreesLouisville has planted and distributed nearly 20,000 trees across Jefferson County. We have developed long-standing relationships with numerous local organizations, and continue to expand upon our partnerships.

We have launched a number of public awareness media campaigns, including our "Gift A Tree" and "Keep Louisville Cool" campaigns, and have partnered with the Louisville Metro Division of Community Forestry to provide shade tree rebates to residents who purchase and plant trees in Louisville.

Through a US Forest Service grant, TreesLouisville has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to run several rounds of the Community Canopy tree giveaway program, which allows residents to use an online tool to determine the ideal location on their property to maximize the energy saving benefits of shade. The program provides trees to residents at no cost and offers both a pickup and free delivery option.

We will continue our Jefferson County Public Schools Campus Tree Canopy Enhancement Program and plant trees at schools around the county with low canopy cover. These projects beautify the campus and benefit the students, teachers and surrounding communities with ecosystem services of air quality improvement, stormwater mitigation, a buffer from noise pollution and wildlife habitat. As of August 2022, we have completed projects at 80 of JCPS's 167 campuses and facilities.

At the beginning of 2019, with funding from the Michelin Foundation, TreesLouisville partnered with Landscape Architecture and Natural Resources interns from the University of Kentucky to conduct an environmental and aesthetic improvement study of the Rubbertown Corridor. Over the next several months, the students developed numerous landscape designs and TreesLouisville began working with chemical and manufacturing facilities in the corridor to implement these designs and plant trees to improve air and water quality, increase shade and add more green space to a primarily industrial area. In October 2019, TreesLouisville announced its goal of planting 10,000 trees within the Rubbertown Corridor over the next 3 years.