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How does Trees Atlanta start working in a neighborhood? We plant trees where they’re wanted and needed. We hope our trees will be loved and nurtured by their human neighbors, so we make sure we have community input and approval on all our projects.

Here’s how it works. When our crews see an area that they feel is in need of tree planting, they search out a willing neighbor to serve as a contact. This person serves as a “Local Lorax” (named after the Dr. Seuss character that “speaks for the trees”) and is often our entry point into the neighborhood. Then the conversation continues on several levels—with civic associations, the appropriate City of Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU), etc. Trees Atlanta will attend community meetings to assess the needs and wants of the area and offer “canopy conversations” to educate the public about the benefits of trees, where to plant them, and how to care for them.

Sometimes the process works in reverse. A resident or neighborhood association will contact Trees Atlanta for help in adding trees to their streets and yards. Ansley Park resident Mary Jo Peed saw an article about Trees Atlanta in her neighborhood newsletter. Then, in November of 2018, a 100-year-old beech tree in front of her building fell. The Board of The Maryland, the historic building where she lives, decided to remove the other two beeches in their front yard because all three trees had an intermingled root system. The removal of the three trees dramatically changed the look of the property, so they called Trees Atlanta and we were able to help.

With every tree we plant, we follow a specific process. We create a planting plan and species list and submit it to the City of Atlanta for approval. All locations, whether in the right of way or in public parks, are vetted and approved. A few weeks prior to the planting, we leave two rounds of flyers in homes along the routes where we are planting to notify people of the upcoming project and allow them to opt out of the right-of-way planting.

The week of the planting, we mark the planting sites with paint and small marking flags (with Trees Atlanta’s logo and contact information) so neighbors know the exact location of the trees.

If you are wondering if a Trees Atlanta tree has been planted in front of your house, it is easy to find out! All of our trees have a colored band that say Trees Atlanta. The color we are using for the 2018/2019 season is purple.