Free street trees for Tacoma’s South End Neighborhood.

Tree Planting Day:

October 11

Green Blocks: South End planting is also Green Tacoma Day! Celebrate greening in Tacoma by volunteering to plant trees in the South End!

Scroll to down to register for the planting event!

Pre-Registration is Closed.

Volunteer Planting Event

Volunteers make Green Blocks possible! Join us.

Saturday, October 11, 2025 — 9:00 AM 2:30 PM

Mann Elementary — 1002 South 52nd Street Tacoma, WA, 98408

Pre-registration is closed but you can still join us!

Parking is limited; we encourage folks to carpool. Please bring your own water bottle and gloves if you prefer them. Dress for all weather, dirt/mud and sturdy shoes. The Community Tree Program will provide all planting tools and equipment, coffee, snacks, water and gloves.

Green Blocks: South End provides planting assistance to participants that need it. This is an offsite planting event, which means you'll be driving from planting site to planting site, either in a caravan of cars or carpooling.

Volunteers will break into small planting teams led by a TTF Trained Tree Captain. As a group you'll travel to 2-5 planting sites, meet the residents and plant their tree for them. So special!

Please invite your friends or co-workers! We have a blast!

Under-Age Volunteers: Each minor that accompanies you will be your responsibility. Upon arrival you'll sign a consent form for each minor. All adults (18+) need to register individually.

Schedule:

9:00am - Volunteer Arrival and Volunteer Check-In (Coffee and light snacks)

9:15am - Welcome - Volunteer Orientation

9:30am - Planting Demo

9:45 - Planting Team Breakouts

10:00am- 2:30pm - Tree Planting

The Community Tree Program is rooted in partnership and community. With funding from the City of Tacoma’s Urban Forestry Program, our partnership supports the long-term growth and stewardship of Tacoma’s tree canopy!

The Community Tree Program, a partnership between Tacoma Tree Foundation and the City of Tacoma Urban Forestry Program, is bringing street trees to Tacoma’s South End neighborhood in October 2025. Residents in the designated project area of the South End can sign up to receive free trees for their RIGHT-OF-WAY (ROW), along with other supporting services. Review “How it Works” below for more details!

Our goal is to distribute 300 hundred street trees across 120 homes within our project area! According to the City’s Tree Planting Prioritization tool, the Green Blocks: South End project area falls within Very High to High Tree Planting Priority census blocks. Planting trees in these areas helps to manage stormwater pollution, bolster community resilience, improve public health outcomes, and enhance overall quality of life. If you participate in Green Blocks, we encourage you to consider planting two or more trees in your ROW.

Tree requests are open from July 7th to August 18th. Requests are limited to preferences for evergreen trees and deciduous trees. We invite you to share your goal for tree planting (sound reduction, shade, beauty, improved air quality, etc.) to help guide us in selecting the right tree for you and your property.

Northern Boundary is s 48th st – Eastern Boundary is Pacific Ave – Southern Boundary is s 64th – Western Boundary is I-5.

How it Works: Tree Matching, Delivery, Planting, and Tree Care

The Community Tree Program team leads nearly every step of the Green Blocks process—making it easy for you to get trees planted in your neighborhood. After you submit your tree request, here’s what we do and what we ask of participants:

1. Verify your address is within the project area.
2. Visit your site to assess planting conditions.
3. Mark your planting area in white paint and submit utility locate requests to identify underground utilities present.
4. Review locate results and mark planting locations with wooden stake(s).
5. Match suitable tree species to your site based on tree characteristics, available space, utilities, and your stated goals.
6. Email you with your tree offer by September 19.
7. Deliver confirmed trees to your home the week of October 7.
8. Plant trees with volunteer teams during our community event on October 11, unless you prefer to plant on your own.

1. Confirm your tree selections by September 29 (preferably by email).
2. Commit to watering your new trees weekly for the first three years (April–September) to ensure they thrive.
3. Provide ongoing tree care throughout the tree’s lifetime. We will continue to offer educational workshops and webinars to help you along the way!
4. Optional: Join us on planting day and help get trees in the ground!

Frequently Asked Questions:

We provide a variety of trees that are suitable for diverse planting sites and harsh urban conditions. Both deciduous and evergreen trees are included, with traits like fall color, shade, and noise reduction. We do not guarantee any specific trees. If you have a strong preference on tree species and size, we invite you to utilize the Tree Coupon Program or the Pierce Conservation District Urban Tree Sale.
The Green Blocks program prioritizes community members facing social, financial or physical barriers to planting trees. If you do not face these barriers and are eager to support the greening of the South End, please consider volunteering or helping to spread the word. Scroll down to sign up for our planting event.
Yes, once we verify you are within project boundaries and have suitable planting space, we will submit utility locates. We will ensure tree selections and tree placements follow industry guidelines, such as planting only power line friendly trees at sites with overhead power and ensuring appropriate spacing between trees and other infrastructure like utilities. Your tree offer will factor in all these site-specific details.
Unfortunately, you won’t be eligible to receive trees through this program. However, you can take advantage of many other tree share programs. Check out the Trees for Greater Tacoma web page to find out which tree programs you qualify for. We always welcome tree enthusiasts to volunteer with us, become a tree steward, or attend our many tree education events!
Yes! Through the Community Tree Program, we’ll provide you with everything you need to care for your tree including: tree care resources, watering supplies, watering instructions, and seasonal reminders. We ask that participants commit to watering their tree(s) weekly for the first three years, April-September. This is the most important thing you can do to ensure your tree survives and thrives.
The Tacoma Tree Foundation is dedicated to educating, empowering, and supporting community members in neighborhood-based greening. With your help, these trees will have a lasting impact in the neighborhood.

The Community Tree Program is rooted in partnership and community. With funding from the City of Tacoma’s Urban Forestry Program, our partnership supports the long-term growth and stewardship of Tacoma’s tree canopy

We are grateful for our partnership with EcoMovers, a regionally based moving company rooted in sustainability and committed to enriching the neighborhoods it serves through meaningful environmental action. Moving families-and trees-to grow a better tomorrow.