Tree Pittsburgh

Have you done your spring tree care yet? Your $20 donation can cover many items Tree Pittsburgh needs to prepare trees in your community for the hot summer months! Make a one-time gift, or support the trees year-round with a monthly donation.

June 19th is known as Juneteenth, or Freedom Day. It celebrates the day enslaved Americans in Texas learned that they were free (two years after the Emancipation Proclamation).

This blog from EarthDay.org examines the environmental injustices Black Americans continue to face in the United States.

earthday.org/juneteenth-a-snapshot-of-past-and-present-environmental-racism/

🌳 Want to grow your career while growing Pittsburgh's tree canopy? We're hiring!

Tree Pittsburgh is looking for a Community Outreach Coordinator to join our Tree Equity team. This role is all about building and strengthening community partnerships that expand our ReLeaf program's reach, particularly in low-canopy communities.

If you're passionate about environmental equity, love connecting with people, and want your work to make a real difference in Pittsburgh's neighborhoods, this might be the role for you.

Full job description and details on how to apply here: treepittsburgh.org/jobs

That's a wrap on tree adoption season! And what a season it was! 🍃

This spring, Tree Pittsburgh held 17 community and sponsored tree adoption events across the region, including one Giving Grove fruit tree adoption.

With your help and community support, we distributed over 2,600 trees to more than 900 households across the Pittsburgh region - branching out from McKeesport to Munhall, Verona to Turtle Creek, Hazelwood to Glassport and further afield. That's thousands of roots going into the ground, and thousands of reasons to feel good about what's growing in our communities.

The benefits of trees are clear. Not only do they help clean our air and cool our streets, but they also can support our mental health and boost our local economy by reducing electricity use and increasing property values!

A HUGE thank you to every community partner, sponsor, volunteer, and tree adopter who made this season possible. We couldn't do any of this important work without you. 💚

To learn more about the benefits trees can bring to your neighborhood, visit https://www.treepittsburgh.org/resources/benefits-of-trees/

Our recent Sapling Saturday: Arboretum Explorers event was a great success! Area kids were able to come to our Lawrenceville campus and arboretum to learn about trees, have fun getting their hands a little dirty, and participate in nature-related art projects.

We were so pleased to see how excited these young nature fans were to participate and we hope to see all of them back for future learning events!

Serviceberry season is here!

Did you know that Serviceberries (also known as Juneberry, Shadbush, Saskatoon, Sugarplum, and other region-specific names) are deciduous trees or large shrubs native to PA that produce edible berries with a sweet, unique flavor?

The berries are high in iron and copper, and can be eaten raw, cooked in treats, or made into jam or syrup… just make sure to wash before using them!

Their early spring flowers support pollinators, and their June-ripening fruits support over 35 bird species. During the fall, they turn vibrant shades of orange, red, and gold.

🌳 Back to where it all started!

The One Tree Per Child program returned to Ohio Township Community Park to continue reforestation work on the very site where OTPC Pittsburgh began – a hillside once devastated by emerald ash borer.

In May, we partnered with Ohio Township Parks and Recreation and the University of Pittsburgh's Epsilon Eta environmental service fraternity to plant 60 trees with the entire 3rd grade class of Avonworth Elementary School. Together, they put 12 each of five native species in the ground: Black Cherry, Black Willow, Chestnut Oak, Mountain Maple, and Washington Hawthorn.

This planting also marks a special milestone – it's part of our ongoing celebration of Tree Pittsburgh's 20th Anniversary in 2026. What better way to honor 20 years than by returning to our roots? 🌱

A huge thank you to Ms. Melissa Cwynar for coordinating the students and school's participation. Her dedication made this collaboration shine! 🌟

Trees need a drink, too!

Deep, slow watering helps trees' roots grow stronger and keeps them healthy, resilient, and thriving. It's especially important to water young and newly-planted trees as they are especially vulnerable to drought stress and need consistent watering to get established.

Not sure how much water your tree needs? A good rule of thumb is to provide 10 gallons of water a week for every inch of trunk diameter. For example, a trunk with a 2-inch diameter will need 20 gallons of water. A good way to keep track of how much water you give your tree is to use a 5-gallon bucket! Drill some holes in the bottom of your bucket and fill it up. There's your first 5 gallons!