South Palo Alto Tree Initiative

Let’s work together to grow tree canopy cover in south Palo Alto!

In partnership with the City of Palo Alto, Canopy has planted over 1,000 trees and hosted many neighborhood tree plantings alongside residents in south Palo Alto since this program began in 2016. To see the map of our plantings click here.

South Palo Alto Residents

Free Advice, Free Trees, Free Planting and Care

By participating in this program residents will receive up to a 30 minute consultation at your property with a Certified Arborist, a free tree suitable for your front or back yard, free installation by expert volunteers at the neighborhood planting, and Palo Alto-specific tree care instructions. Canopy performs checkups and offers as-needed pruning and tree care advice for up to 3 years after the tree is planted.

South Palo Alto (SPA) constitutes all the neighborhoods south of Oregon Expressway. If you are a resident of SPA, sign up using the online form below or by contacting Evany Wang at evany@canopy.org.

Volunteers

We happily partner with community groups, neighborhood associations, and individual residents to plant trees. Check our online event calendar for upcoming community tree planting. If you want to help with outreach for this program, contact [email protected].

History of the South Palo Alto Tree Initiative

In 2011, as part of developing the Palo Alto Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP), researchers conducted a comprehensive canopy cover analysis for the City of Palo Alto. The resulting report identified that, for Palo Alto’s 17 predominantly residential neighborhoods, north Palo Alto has approximately 22% more tree canopy than south Palo Alto. Furthermore, that gap has only widened in recent decades. In 1982, north Palo Alto had 11% more tree canopy cover than south Palo Alto. In less than thirty years, the disparity has doubled. Community feedback confirmed that this ongoing gap in tree cover is an important issue, and addressing it is a major priority for the City and Canopy.

In 2016 Canopy conducted an in-depth analysis, identifying the underlying reasons for this disparity, gathering community feedback, and recommending strategies to restore canopy equity. Our recommended goal for the city is to increase tree canopy cover by 8% over the next 10 to 15 years through a combination of planting new trees and preserving existing trees.

Links to learn more:

Growing the Tree Canopy in South Palo Alto: Goals and Strategies

South Palo Alto Tree Canopy Community Survey results

 

South Palo Alto Tree Request Form

Note for Fall 2023 – Spring 2024 Planting Season: Canopy’s south Palo Alto tree planting calendar for this season is currently full. However, please submit the form below to be added to our waitlist and we will be in touch!

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