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Free trees, planting and watering for schools from Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry.
Program Overview
Urban Forestry’s Learning Landscapes program helps students of all ages plant trees at their schools—turning schoolyards into greener, healthier places to learn and play. With support from our professional tree care team, students, teachers, and volunteers come together for a fun, hands-on outdoor experience that builds connection to nature, community, and their school. This program is free for schools and tree planting takes place between November and March each year.
As part of the program, Urban Forestry will:
- Collaborate with your school to create a tree planting plan
- Provide all trees and necessary supplies
- Work with the students to properly plant the trees
- Organize and train volunteers for planting day
- Provide three years of tree care, including watering, mulching, and weeding
- Deliver educational opportunities about trees before planting day
Eligibility
Any school within Portland city limits is eligible, provided they are willing to commit to:
- Secure all permissions from school officials to plant trees
- Complete a site visit with an Urban Forestry arborist to create a planting plan
- Plant a minimum of 12 trees
Sign Up
Interested in trees for your school? Make sure your school is eligible and fill out an application!
Learning Landscapes: School Tree Planting Application
Volunteer with Learning Landscapes!
Interested in volunteering at a Learning Landscapes planting? Select an event to volunteer at through the Volunteer Sign up and get a background check started by filling out the Background Check Consent Form and emailing it to: Elena.Amaya@PortlandOregon.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Why trees?
Trees provide essential services for all Portlanders. Planting trees at schools brings cleaner air for students, cooler playgrounds, shade from harmful UV rays, and better mental focus. Planting trees also creates a sense of place, connecting students to their school and community. On top of the important services trees provide students, schools often have large spaces with plenty of room for trees to grow.
For over 20 years, Urban Forestry has worked with schools to successfully plant and establish thousands of trees. Learn more about Urban Forestry’s commitment to working with youth at schools in Portland’s citywide tree planting strategy, “Growing A More Equitable Forest.”
How many students can participate in planting trees?
It depends on how many trees we are planting, but usually we can plant with several classrooms. We have a maximum ratio of five students to one Urban Forestry staff member or trained tree planting volunteer.
What is the timeline of this program?
After you fill out the interest form, a Program Manager will reach out to your school to set up a site walk with school officials in spring. Urban Forestry will create a site design and send along a draft to be approved by all school officials before summer break. After all approvals are granted, we set a date for a student planting from November through March. The program manager will begin to coordinate the student planting event at the end of summer, before the following school year.
Who pays for this?
This program is not paid for by tax dollars. The funds come from the City’s Tree Planting and Preservation Fund. The fund is used to plant trees to compensate for those removed during property development and other situations.
What is Urban Forestry?
Urban Forestry is a division of Portland Parks & Recreation. Urban Forestry's mission is to manage and ensure Portland's urban forest infrastructure for current and future generations. Urban Forestry is committed to working with property owners, residents, contractors, and communities to enhance the urban forest and optimize the services that trees provide us all.
What types of trees are planted?
We plant large, evergreen, and native trees—chosen for their environmental benefits and their positive impact on student health. Our Urban Forestry team carefully selects trees that will thrive in each location, ensuring they’re well-suited to the space. Healthy trees mean less maintenance and longer lives. At planting, trees are already 5 to 10 feet tall, making an immediate and beautiful difference in the space.
What other tree planting programs does Urban Forestry have?
We have many programs under Urban Forestry. You can find them in the related section above. Here is a list of all of our programs: