Summer is here, the sun is (finally) out and you need an excuse to don the gardening gloves and grab a spade. Or maybe you just had a tree removed, and are eager to replant but don’t know where to begin. Look no further than Trees for Seattle! Trees for Seattle is the City of Seattle’s urban forestry outreach and engagement program. An invaluable resource, Trees for Seattle aims to engage Seattle residents in the care and stewardship of Seattle’s trees, helping to grow a larger and healthier urban forest.

But just how do they go about achieving such a lofty task? Well for one, there’s the Trees for Neighborhoods project which gives away free trees for qualified applicants! And that’s not all! If you’re lucky enough to receive free trees you will also get a watering bag, mulch, and instructions for proper planting and care. They will even assist you in finding the right species just for you based on your needs and planting specifications, ranging from back yard projects to trees approved for planting under power lines.

The application opens in July and is lottery-based. You can sign up to be notified here for updates as to what to expect when the application is open. You can also sign up for a young tree care newsletter to remind yourself to water newly planted trees!

Looking for some other ways to have some fun in the sun? You can find a list of all upcoming Trees for Seattle events over here. Activities include tree walks, informal walks that showcase favorite neighborhood trees, and work parties, volunteer events that restore the landscape and ensure the health of our urban forest.

No matter what you plan on doing, it is certainly nice knowing there are services out there keeping the Emerald City green!