Casey Trees is a non-profit organization established in 2001 to restore, enhance, and protect the tree canopy of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

  The organization plants trees, engages volunteers in tree planting and care, offers an education program open to the public, monitors the District’s tree canopy, and advocates and plans for the urban forest.

To restore District of Columbia's legacy as the "City of Trees," the organization works with residents, community groups, policy makers, agencies and others to plant and care for trees and promote the use of green infrastructure for environmentally friendly and sustainable development. Casey Trees collaborates with the District Department of Transportation

District of Columbia Department of Transportation

The District of Columbia Department of Transportation is an agency of the government of the District of Columbia which manages and maintains publicly-owned transportation infrastructure in the District of Columbia...

's Urban Forestry Administration and has participated in revising the District's Comprehensive Plan and partnered with the District on the Main Streets and Great Streets initiatives and is designing their new location in Brookland to utilize green building

Green building

Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...

 practices.

History

Casey Trees was created in 2001 with a grant from philanthropist Betty Brown Casey. Following a 1999 Washington Post article with satellite images from American Forests

American Forests

American Forests is a 501 non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems. Their stated mission is to "grow a healthier world with trees". The organization was established in 1875 as the American Forestry Association by physician and...

showing a dramatic decline of trees in the District since the 1970s, Mrs. Casey was moved to establish an organization that would work to restore the tree cover of the District of Columbia.

Casey Trees' first major initiative in 2002 was to inventory all of DC’s street trees. Over 500 volunteers walked 955 miles compiling information on 132,000 trees and planting spaces. These findings were used by the Urban Forestry Administration to establish street tree planting goals, priorities, and maintenance needs. The information was also used to develop an online tree map which allows residents to view the data.

Programs

The Citizen Forester program trains participants in best practices for planting and caring for trees, conducting tree inventories, and advocating for a green, sustainable DC. At 500 and growing, Citizen Foresters serve as ambassadors; they oversee planting, training, and other activities District-wide.

The High School Summer Crew provides District of Columbia high school students with summer employment, exposing them to careers in the green industry. Student interns receive training in tree identification, inventory, and maintenance and participate in community tree care projects.

Every fall and spring, Casey Trees helps organize Community Tree Planting projects in the city. The organization works with neighborhood groups and Citizen Foresters to plan these projects and recruit community volunteers to plant the new trees.