TREES FOREVER INC

GROWING COMMUNITY FORESTS: TREES FOREVER HELPS COMMUNITIES GROW AND CARE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY FORESTS BY PROVIDING GRANT FUNDING WITH FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE ASSISTANCE TO VOLUNTEERS AND LEADERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PLANTING AND CARING FOR TREES AND NATURAL AREAS. TREES FOREVER PROVIDES ASSISTANCE WITH DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANNING AND RECOVERY AND CONTINUES TO LEAD THE REPLANTING EFFORT. IN 2025, TREES FOREVER PARTNERED WITH 91 COMMUNITIES TO COMPLETE 170 PROJECTS IN IOWA, ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN. THREE LARGE-SCALE TREE DISTRIBUTIONS WERE HELD IN 2,508 AFFORDABLE, LANDSCAPE SIZED TREES PLANTED ON PRIVATE LANDS IN THE CEDAR RAPIDS AND DES MOINES METROPOLITAN AREAAS. EDUCATION AND VOLUNTEER OUTREACH PROGRAMS ARE ALSO PROCESSING. TREES FOREVER IS HELPING PREPARE TEENAGERS IUN IOWA FOR THE FUTURE WORKFORCE THROUGH GROWING FUTURES. THROUGH THIS YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DES MOINES AND CEDAR RAPIDS ARE HIRED TO PLANT AND CARE FOR PUBLIC TREES IN 2025, A TOTAL OF 77 STUDENTS WERE HIRED WITH 53 STUDENTS RETURNING FOR CONSECUTIVE SEASONS. THEY PLANTED 859 TREES, WATERED 92,836 TIMES AND PROVIDED MAINTENANCE TO NUMEROUS TREES AS NEEDED WHILE ALSO RECEIVING VALUABLE TRAINING AND ENHANCING THEIR WORKPLACE READINESS.

IN 2025 TREES FOREVER EDUCATED INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES TO CARE FOR TREES: TREES FOREVER PROVIDES INFORMATIVE PROGRAMS AND HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT BUILD PARTICIPANTS' KNOWLEDGE OF TREE CARE, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, AND CONSERVATION. IN 2025 THROUGH THE STEWARDS OF THE BEAUTIFUL LAND PROGRAM WITH THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S LIVING ROADWAY TRUST FUND, TREES FOREVER HOSTED TWLEVE WEBINARS THAT ENGAGED PARTICIPANTS ON TOPICS RELATED TO CONSERVATION AND TREE PLANTING AND CARE. ALSO, THROUGH THE STEWARDS OF THE BEAUTIFUL LAND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, VARIOUS HANDS-ON FIELD DAYS INCLUDED PLANT AND TREE ID, SEED HARVEST, PRAIRIE WALKS AND PLANTING EVENTS THAT ENGAGED 844 PARTICIPANTS. THE TREES FOREVER TREEKEEPERS PROGRAM REACHES VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE NATION TO TRAIN AND EDUCATE THEM IN SUPPORTING URBAN FORESTRY IN THEIR HOMETOWNS. IN 2025, 499 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE ONLINE SERIES OF TRAININGS. THROUGH ALL OF TREES FOREVERS WORK, THE GROUP PROMOTES THE PLANTING OF DIVERSE, NATIVE TREES AND PRAIRIE TO BUILD A MORE RESILIENT AND BENEFICIAL LOCAL ECOSYSTEM. TREES FOREVER PROVIDES EDUCATION TO THE PUBLIC ON A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS WITH IN-PERSON FIELD DAYS, WEBINAR SERIES, AND VOLUNTEER TRAININGS. IN 2025, THE ORGANIZATION HAD MORE THAN 6,700 ENGAGEMENTS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, VOLUNTEER EVENTS, AND SUPPORTER INTERACTIONS.