Celebrating 20 Years of Success
Twenty years ago, a top priority for the health of the Tualatin River was keeping its water cool. An immediate solution was to plant trees, which would provide shade, wildlife habitat, and many other water quality benefits. Engaging the community in tree planting offered a chance to build a legacy of stewardship.
With these goals in mind, the original Tree for All team set out to plant one million trees and shrubs in 20 years. In 2015, Tree for All partners planted more than two million native trees and shrubs in a single planting season. In total, since 2005, Tree for All partners have:
Restored more than 150 miles of river and stream habitat.
Saved the public millions of dollars by deploying lower-cost, multi-function green infrastructure rather than installing and operating chillers.
Learned and applied groundbreaking lessons about stewardship, allowing projects to thrive and communities to connect with each other.
Planted more than 17 million native plants, enough plants to provide habitat for at least 225,000 cutthroat trout, and exert a cooling influence greater than 23 million trays of ice.
Click here to view a dynamic map of past Tree for All projects!
Visioning Project: Building Upon a Strong Foundation
In February 2022, after nearly two years of pandemic-impacted operations, a half-dozen regional conservation partners began gathering informally to discuss their organizations’ challenges and goals. They wondered, “Moving forward, how might Tree for All’s collaborative approach help to advance our organizational objectives?” The time seemed right to convene partners and aligned stakeholders throughout the region to explore how to prioritize actions and focus available resources in the years to come.
Building on the October workshop, 44 people gathered in January 2023 at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Their purpose was to envision the work they could do together and to propose compelling initiatives that reflected common goals and shared values, while strengthening relationships and building trust.
Review meeting notes from past Tree for All partner meetings here:
Action and Momentum
For the past two years, the Planning Committee and Working Groups have:
Launched a shared virtual space to make materials and resources accessible.
Formally adopted a common goal and shared values.
Developed updated branding for collaborations.
Hosted multiple events to maintain partnerships and celebrate accomplishments.
Provided opportunities for continued peer learning.
Set up working groups to advance the development of key initiatives, including establishing a baseline, identifying current projects, and setting goals for success.
40+ Tree for All partners have:
Restored and managed more than 30,000 acres for watershed health.
Saved the public more than $150 million by deploying lower-cost, multi-function green infrastructure rather than installing and operating chillers.
Planted more than 15 million native plants—more than a million per year in recent years.
Mobilized more than 90,000 volunteer hours.
Learned and applied groundbreaking lessons about stewardship, allowing projects to thrive and connect with each other.
This amount of planting, well-stewarded, is enough to:
Offset more than 25,000 car trips around the equator.
Provide habitat for at least 238,000 cutthroat trout.
Sequester more than 252,000 metric tons of carbon.
We’re excited about the work we’re doing to make our region healthy and vibrant for generations to come. Questions? Email us.
