Imagine Baltimore with
hundreds of thousands of
additional trees...

shading its streets, parks and private landscapes: twice as many oaks, maples, lindens and plane trees to cool the city, clean our air, improve our neighborhoods’ wellbeing — and filter stormwater to the Chesapeake Bay.

We could be a city transformed.

Donate online secure donations accepted through the Baltimore Community Foundation

Partner with the Baltimore Tree Trust
to champion Baltimore’s urban forest!

Baltimore skylineOur Challenge: Baltimore’s Urban Forest is in Decline

Baltimore’s urban forest consists of 2.6 million trees, one quarter of which are distressed, dead, or dying according to the U.S. Forest Service. Baltimore City’s tree canopy has declined by a third to just 25% of overall landmass—and our hottest, starkest streets are altogether without trees. The city aims to increase the tree canopy to 40% of landmass by 2040. To achieve this goal, Baltimore must plant 750,000 trees at a rate of 25,000 new trees each year. At present Baltimore does not plant even 10,000 new trees a year.

 

Our Mission: Transform Baltimore with Trees

The Baltimore Tree Trust is a 501c3 organization committed to restoring the city’s urban forest through increased tree planting, tree stewardship, community engagement, public education, and research. Aligned with the efforts of public, private, and nonprofit partners, and alongside private landowners and city residents, the BTT creates an opportunity for dramatic restoration of Baltimore’s aging tree canopy.

Baltimore Tree Trust Initiatives:

McElderry ParkTrees For
Public Health Neighborhoods

In McElderry Park, a southeast Baltimore neighborhood, trees are sparse and childhood asthma is high—one of the city’s “red zones” where trees are needed.

  • Winter 2010: The Baltimore Tree Trust begins meeting with partners in McElderry Park, commencing a multi-year pilot program to fully plant up 48 square blocks.

    BTT’s partners for the McElderry Park Trees for Public Health Project are TreeBaltimore, Banner Neighborhoods Community Corporation, Amazing Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, McElderry Park Community Resource Center, Baltimore City Forestry Board, Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity, Johns Hopkins Center in Urban Environmental Health, Environmental Justice Partnership, Inc, Southeast Community Development Corporation, and Residents of N Luzerne Ave.


  • Spring 2011: We kickoff our project by celebrating Arbor Day, planting 8 trees at William Paca Elementary School, symbolic of the 800 new trees planting project.

  • Summer 2011: BTT conducts the city’s first iTree survey in McElderry Park, employing professionals and local youth, generating data helpful to City Forestry.

  • Fall 2011: BTT funds a study of public health perceptions in treeless blocks. BTT teaches local Tree Stewards classes.

  • Winter 2011-12: BTT and partners raise funds; the city cuts half the tree pits for Phase I tree planting.

  • Spring 2012: BTT, volunteers, residents and city contractors plant a total of 61 trees, completing Phase I.

  • Summer 2012: We employ Green Teams of local youth to care for McElderry Park trees, and begin tree pit cutting and fundraising for Phase II (120 trees).

 

Tree stewards pruning tree.Tree Stewards Programs

In the fall of 2012, BTT, TreeBaltimore, and the City Forestry will offer Tree Stewards classes. Details to come.

In the fall of 2011, BTT and the Baltimore City Forestry Board initiated Tree Stewards classes for McElderry Park residents, expanding neighborhood tree committees to aid in the nurture of their new street trees. This model will be applied citywide, to

  • facilitate a healthier canopy

  • build tree constituencies

  • support metropolitan greening efforts

 

Dawson CherryTrees For Large Private Properties

This game-changing BTT initiative engages large private property owners to grow our urban canopy. Half the land in Baltimore City available for tree planting is privately owned. BTT offers expertise and joint planning to increase tree plantings on commercial, private, and college properties so as to broaden local membership in Tree Campus USA. On diverse private and commercial sites, BTT assists by

  • identifying existing resources

  • providing a palette of planting strategies

  • connecting with arborcare professionals and volunteers

  • coordinating with city and state agencies

 

Tree inventory

The Great
Baltimore Tree Inventory

The Baltimore Tree Trust’s McElderry Park Tree Inventory, using iTree software, provides model baseline valuation of existing green infrastructure and the need for future planting. Area by area tree counts are necessary to develop a thoroughgoing Baltimore City Tree Inventory. As hundreds of thousands of trees are planted in coming decades, improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay, this central record-keeping database will

  • incorporate analyses by the U.S. Forest Service

  • be an essential tool for reversing diminishing canopy

  • aid in improving the city’s health and economy

Raising Funds and Raising Expectations

Baltimore, like many cities across the nation—New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Sacramento—must commit to using green infrastructure to accomplish sustainability, create beautiful neighborhoods and improve the health of our citizens. To transform Baltimore with trees, the non-profit Baltimore Tree Trust works to increase funding opportunities.

Champion Baltimore’s urban forest by becoming a supporter of the Baltimore Tree Trust…

Donate online
secure donations accepted through the Baltimore Community Foundation,

or send your tax-deductible check to:

Baltimore Trees Trust. Transform Baltimore with trees!Baltimore Tree Trust
c/o Baltimore Community Foundation
2 East Read Street
Baltimore, Md. 21202