Volunteer Pathways

Whether this is your first time volunteering with Trees Atlanta or your hundred and first, we welcome you! Begin your volunteer pathway from new volunteer to Green Shirt or Certified Volunteer. No matter your level of expertise, we have a way for you to get involved in protecting and improving our urban forest. 

Everyone is Welcome!

• There’s a way you can volunteer at Trees Atlanta. Each volunteer opportunity includes a brief training so that you can enjoy and succeed in the experience. In addition to physical outdoor projects, you can find roles at projects, at our office, or across the city helping us reach new communities.

Earn a (coveted) Green Shirt

• Repeat volunteers who regularly work with us are incredibly important to us! It’s a celebration when a volunteer earns their Green Shirt from Trees Atlanta!  Green Shirt volunteers are given the opportunity to participate in special projects, lead volunteer groups, and join us at our annual Volunteer Potluck Picnic and other social events.
• Certified Volunteers are individuals who meet specific skills requirement, including completion of classroom training and hands-on project leadership minimums. Continue exploring this page to learn about each.

Let’s Get Started

We have volunteer opportunities almost every week of the year covering a wide variety of options including outdoor tree planting and care and forest restoration, as well as supporting our education programs and office staff.  

1. A great way to begin is to create a Volunteer Profile. Registered volunteers receive a weekly email of upcoming volunteer opportunities and can track their total service hours earned.
2. Learn more about our wide range of Programs.
3. Register for an upcoming volunteer project!

Tree Planting

Learn how to correctly plant trees and other woody plants and help our vital urban forest thrive. Volunteer tree planting projects add trees along neighborhood streets, in front yards, and in open greenspaces in communities throughout the metro Atlanta area. Activities require moderate physical effort, such as digging holes, moving trees, spreading mulch, and watering. Tree planting projects happen during the months of October through March. Learn more.

Tree and Plant Care

Care for newly planted trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers in metro Atlanta communities. Volunteer tree and plant care projects occur in neighborhoods, greenspaces such as parks, and the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum. Activities include watering, weeding, mulching, and other maintenance-related tasks. You can learn how to properly prune young trees through classroom and hand-on projects as well. Tree and plant care projects happen year-round, with the greatest focus from April to September. Learn more.

Forest Restoration

Learn about native and nonnative plant species while helping to create healthy, sustainable forests in the city.  Activities include hand-pulling and cutting aggressively-growing plants, such as English ivy and Chinese privet. Forest restoration also includes planting native plants, grasses, ephemerals, and trees in these greenspaces after the aggressive plants are under control to help restore the local ecology. Learn more.

Program Ambassadors

The role of a Program Ambassador is a great for individuals who may prefer or need to limit more vigorous physical effort. A Program Ambassador helps the staff onsite; some events are outdoors (projects) and some are indoors (education program, office support, events, etc.). Activities for Program Ambassadors include assisting staff to welcome volunteers, ensuring attendees are checked in, taking photos of volunteers during the event, and handling logistical needs as directed by the staff coordinator. Program Ambassadors are asked to arrive 15 to 30 minutes prior to the start of each event and/or also may stay after the event to help wrap up.

Office Support

Help in our office. Support our program and administrative teams by helping at the front desk, preparing event materials, assembling mailings, and entering information into our databases. This is a perfect opportunity if you are interested in an indoor project with less physically strenuous work. Most office volunteer opportunities are available on weekdays during standard office hours. Some office support may leverage your particular expertise, such as writing, video editing, or other skill. Please reach out to volunteer@treesatlanta.org for more information.

Event Support

A fun way to attend an event and help out at the same time is to volunteer! Events include classes, fundraisers, tours, conferences, festivals, and more. Most events are at our facilities, but some are hosted elsewhere in the metro Atlanta area. Event support volunteers can help prepare for our events by assembling materials, setting up, greeting guests, preparing refreshments, taking photos, and cleaning up.* If you like to talk to potential new volunteers and supporter, you might also be great for helping to table an information booth for Trees Atlanta at festivals or events around the city. Please reach out to volunteer@treesatlanta.org for more information.

*In-person events at Trees Atlanta have been suspended but will resume when we can safely do so.

Green Shirt Volunteers

Regular volunteers are awarded a Green Shirt from Trees Atlanta after completing 6 volunteer projects within 12 months. Many Green Shirt volunteers acquire enough skill and experience that they frequently help to lead groups at projects, assist new volunteers, or work independently.

Green Shirt volunteers are given the opportunity to participate in special projects, lead volunteer groups, and join us at our annual Volunteer Potluck Picnic and other social events. A special email is sent to Green Shirt volunteers with updates and opportunities.

Volunteer projects and hours are tracked through registrations through our website. Each volunteer must confirm their attendance at each project by signature on the sign in sheet. Make sure you find the Project Ambassador or Project Coordinator to record your attendance!

New volunteers can create and view their volunteer profile and hours to start their Volunteer Pathway!

Certified Volunteers

Certified Volunteers are individuals who meet specific skills requirement, including completion of classroom training and hands-on project leadership minimums. Certain volunteer opportunities are restricted to only our Certified Volunteers. Learn about each option below.

Volunteer Pathways