Program:
California Arbor Week
- Budget:
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- Category:
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Public, Society Benefit
- Population Served:
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General Public/Unspecified
Program Description:
California’s Arbor Week, which is recognized annually between
March 7 and 14, celebrates all that our urban and community forests offer for protecting our environment and enhancing quality of life. California ReLeaf’s Arbor Week program works to promote, encourage, and support Arbor Week activities happening throughout California, including tree planting, tree maintenance, and environmental
education programs.
The goals of the California Arbor Week program are to:
Goal 1: Expand the number and scope of Arbor Week events and activities
California ReLeaf will support nonprofit community tree groups to encourage, enhance and foster Arbor Week activities. We will focus on organizations working in disadvantaged communities and on smaller organizations that might not otherwise have the staff or financial capacity to host an Arbor Week event. We provide local organizations with direct financial support, technical expertise, media promotion, internet visibility, educational materials and more.
Goal 2: Get citizens involved in improving their communities o
California ReLeaf will promote California Arbor Week through a frequently-updated website (
www.arborweek.org), press releases,
a media “tool kit,” and promotional materials. By bringing greater attention to Arbor Week activities, our objective is to garner more volunteer and philanthropic support for individual groups, as well as raising the overall visibility and profile California Arbor Week. California ReLeaf will maintain the
www.arborweek.org website as a one-stop listing of all statewide Arbor Week activities so that potential volunteers can find out what is happening in their local community
and find out how to become involved.
Goal 3: Broaden the message about the value of urban forestry
California ReLeaf will create and disseminate educational materials, engage the media, and implement a statewide student poster contest (grades 3, 4, and 5) and a photography contest. Educating leaders, the general public, and students about the benefits of urban forestry can lead to local and statewide planning and protection, proper tree maintenance, enhanced funding, and broad public support for trees and green infrastructure in communities where people live and work.
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Goal 4: Improve local communities and protect natural resources
In supporting and promoting Arbor Week
activities, this program will result in the planting of new trees and care of
existing urban greenery, thus improving and beautifying local
neighborhoods. Improving the outdoor
environment encourages physical activity and social interaction, fosters
neighborhood pride, and raises property and commercial values. In addition,
trees provide significant benefits related to health and nutrition, crime
reduction, and economic vitality. Trees protect
our natural resources by cleaning our air and water, saving energy, mitigating
the impacts of climate change, and providing habitat and food for
wildlife.
Program Long-Term Success:
Increased membership in the CA ReLeaf Network.
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Program:
California ReLeaf Network
- Budget:
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- Category:
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Environment
- Population Served:
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General Public/Unspecified
Program Description:
The California ReLeaf Network is an alliance of nearly 75 community-based organizations that share the common goals of planting and protecting trees,fostering an ethic of environmental stewardship, and promoting citizen involvement. Through this program California
ReLeaf builds the capacity of participating groups, which empowers their
efforts locally.
Specific program activities include regular communications (email, phone calls, blog posts) that allow California ReLeaf staff to keep in touch with Network groups to assess needs and build capacity. We also host an annual Network Retreat or Regional Workshops to provide time for Network groups to gather to hear from outside experts and to learn from each other.
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Program:
General Education and Outreach
- Budget:
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- Category:
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Environment
- Population Served:
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General Public/Unspecified
Program Description:
California ReLeaf strengthens grassroots and individual efforts by
involving the general public, interested grassroots organizations, and urban and community forestry professionals in the greening of California through educational outreach. California ReLeaf’s outreach programs teach the benefits and values of trees and educate the public
about sound arboricultural practices.
Specific program activities include general assistance via telephone, email, and mail; publishing two annual newsletters, California Trees,
which highlight issues of interest to California’s urban forestry community; and maintenance of a website for education and outreach purposes.
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Program:
Grant Administration
- Budget:
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- Category:
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Environment
- Population Served:
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General Public/Unspecified
Program Description:
On behalf of the State of California and the U.S. Forest Service, California ReLeaf administers grant programs for urban and community forestry activities. To date, California ReLeaf has administered over 750 grants to community-based organizations and municipalities, distributing over $6.5 million for tree planting, tree maintenance, volunteer training and recruitment, job training, education, outreach, and program development. These grants have resulted in projects that have planted and cared for more than 153,000 trees throughout the state, utilizing nearly 300,000 volunteer hours and leveraging $8 million in matching funds.
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Program:
Tree Planting Program
- Budget:
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- Category:
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Environment
- Population Served:
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Program Description:
California ReLeaf's Tree Planting program supports community-based
organizations across California in the planting and care of trees in local
neighborhoods. The planting of trees is an effective, efficient, and long-term strategy for building stronger,healthier, and environmentally-sustainable communities.
Trees are champions of environmental stewardship. Each year, 100
mature street trees remove 12 tons of carbon dioxide, remove 646 pounds of other air pollutants, filter 55,000 gallons of rainwater to replenish and
protect water supplies, and reduce energy consumption for air conditioning and heating. Trees also minimize soil erosion, provide flood protection, create habitat and food for wildlife, and reduce fossil fuel use by encouraging walking and cycling.
Trees contribute to community vitality by revitalizing neighborhoods, promoting civic pride, and providing economic benefits. Trees beautify and invigorate neighborhoods by creating attractive and inviting spaces for people to interact. Trees also contribute to reduced crime, calmer traffic, and the abatement of litter and graffiti. Vibrant green spaces foster an attachment to and pride in one's community, leading to higher levels of social cohesion and social control. Tree planting projects
often involve local residents, which creates a sense of "ownership"
and offers opportunities for positive interactions between neighbors.
Additionally, trees create economic benefits for residents by increasing
property values and cutting utility bills by shading homes and blocking wind.
Finally, trees contribute to happy and healthy citizens. Trees allow people to have daily connections with nature and create settings that encourage outdoor play, walking, cycling, and jogging. Trees help to reduce stress, restore the mind, alleviate symptoms of depression, and provide other health benefits associated with cleaner air to breath and better opportunities for physical activity.
California ReLeaf’s Tree Planting Program creates stronger, greener, and more vibrant communities throughout California by coordinating with locally-based groups to plant at least 1,500 trees annually. California ReLeaf provides trees and planting supplies (i.e. tree stakes, mulch, watering bags), event promotion, educational materials, and other support.
A grant or donation to California ReLeaf’s Tree Planting Program
will support tree planting activities in California's urbanized and residential areas, where more than 94% of Californians live. California ReLeaf gives highest priority to tree planting projects in underserved neighborhoods with the least amount of tree canopy, public parks, or other living green infrastructure.
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