Welcome to Re-Forest the City! Scroll down for information on our Tuesday Tree Talk series, our private yard free native tree/shrub program and more. We hope to see you soon! |
ReForest the City is a grassroots effort to encourage restoration of our urban tree canopy. Although Portland is known as “Forest City,” our urban tree canopy throughout the city has decreased dramatically in the last 50 years. Trees are incredibly important for a myriad of reasons, including general enjoyment, air quality, habitat for birds, and mental health. ReForest has great partners on this project: the City of Portland Parks Department and the City’s wonderful new arborist Mark Reiland; Maine Audubon’s Bringing Nature Home program; Wild Seed Project; and the Portland Sustainability Office.
Our Current Initiatives
Tree Talks and Walks: ReForest the City hosts “Tuesday Tree Talks and Walks” at Reiche Community Center. Speakers in the series so far have been Portland’s City Arborist Mark Reiland, Tyler Refsland of Wild Seed Project, and Andrew Tufts of Maine Audubon. Stay tuned for announcements of future Tree Talks by following this webpage, subscribing to the WENA listserv, and following the WENA Facebook and the City of Portland social media.
Native Tree Planting Program: We are planting native trees and shrubs in the yards of West End residents who apply. With a small community grant from Maine Medical Center and technical assistance from Maine Audubon, WENA’s ReForest the City project will provide a free native tree or shrub, help you select a planting location and species, and we will even plant the tree for you! We hope to plant up to 50 in the fall. Apply here.
Adopt A Street Tree: We are working with the City to create an “Adopt a Tree” program where residents commit to mulching a street tree to help with water retention. Compacted soil, car doors, animal waste and vandalism all take their toll on the trees that line our streets.
Updating the West End Street Tree Inventory: Join fellow residents in the West End to help update the City’s inventory of street trees in the West End, noting tree health, damage, and where there are empty tree wells.
Our next Tree Talk and Walk is on June 11 with Rosanne Graef, Vice President of WENA, and Deborah McCoy, with Designer Greens, for a conversation about Portland’s Street Trees. Learn about joining our efforts to help newly planted street trees survive their first years and how to get involved in having some fun landscaping a tree well to make the West End more attractive. Join us on Tuesday, June 11 at 6:30pm at Reiche School Community Room, entrance is Door 11 on the Clark Street side.
Want to Get Involved?
We are always looking for volunteers – whether you have a background in horticulture, are willing to wield a spade, or just want to help out with the fun, we would love to have you join the team.
If you want to get involved with any of the programs above, just reach out to trees@wenamaine.org to get connected.
Also, mark your calendar for WENA’s annual picnic on 8/13!
Where can I learn more?
- City of Portland Street Tree Map identifying location and species of trees
- Project Canopy, a website and newsletter produced by the Maine Forest Service addressing urban tree canopy.
- Learn about the many benefits of trees. TreePeople is an organization in southern California working to improve urban tree canopy, and serves as an inspiration to what we can do.
Contact Us
Have questions or need help? Use the form to reach out and we will be in touch with you as quickly as possible.