34,150 Trees Planted on Private Lands this Spring

The UTRCA forestry crew is in the middle of another busy but successful tree planting season with just over 42,500 trees planted and distributed. Forty six landowners took advantage of the UTRCA planting services to create windbreaks, buffers along water courses, and forests in the watershed. Once completed, our crew will have planted 34,150 trees and shrubs!

In addition to staff efforts, another 118 landowners planted on their own to increase and restore natural ecosystems on their properties.  

The weather this spring was not always cooperative, making for interesting planting conditions. The crew began the week after Easter, which turned out to be very warm, and they became concerned when the buds on the large hardwoods began to break. Fortunately, the following week brought cooler temperatures.

Both the trees and tree planters were happy when  most of the hand-planting sites were completed, and machine planting could begin in May. As of May 10th, we have planted 19,320 trees, and we anticipate being done the remaining 14,830 trees by May 24th.  

Wondering how a machine tree planter works? Find out how we can plant about 15 trees per minute in the video below:

More exciting news – UTRCA forestry staff will soon start site visits to begin lining up sites for the 2025 spring tree planting season. We look forward to connecting with new landowners as well as continuing to work with those from the past.

Those interested in carrying out a project on their property for 2025 are encouraged to reach out soon to arrange a site visit. Grants are available for seedling projects and are anticipated to offset costs by upwards of 80-90% in 2025 thanks to our funding partners. If you are interested, please complete this contact form.