Tree-Plenish FAQ
General Questions
Q: What Does Tree-Plenish Do?
A: We recruit student leaders to help them plan and host tree-planting events that are representative of their school's annual energy consumption. We support these student leaders by providing them the resources needed to unite their communities around sustainability. Examples of this mentorship include: chat support and virtual Office Hours, the creation of an event webpage, supplying saplings for the event, etc. Our ultimate goal is to promote sustainability and raise awareness about the environment.
Q: What is Tree-Plenish's mission?
A: Our mission is to empower youth to unite their communities around the goal of creating a more sustainable future that is equitable for all.
Q: Why is Tree-Plenish’s mission important?
A: Through hosting tree-planting events, we hope to raise youth voices to help them bring their communities together to contribute to maintaining a healthier environment. We also want to raise awareness about the importance of trees because they play a vital role in our lives by providing us with air, filtering greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere, and providing monetary value through increased property value and reduced energy usage.
Q: How can I help?
A: If your local school is hosting an event, you can participate by volunteering at the event to plant saplings or by purchasing a sapling to be planted in your yard. If you are a student or teacher, you can choose to host your own event or join a student-led initiative that is already hosting an event. In addition, anybody can support us by donating or sponsoring an event.
Q: Who can participate?
A: Students and school clubs can host a Tree-Plenish event that offsets their school’s energy consumption. College students can sign up to be a college chapter to help high school students run their events. Town organizations can also host a Tree-Plenish event, preferably working with student leaders, that offsets their local school’s energy consumption. Check out the Community Members section to see how you can participate if an event is happening in your community.
Q: Who runs Tree-Plenish?
A: While Tree-Plenish events are hosted by local students, the Tree-Plenish organization is run by college students who work together remotely across the country. As we like to say, Tree-Plenish is run by students for students.
Hosting an Event
Q: How do I start a project in my community?
A: Hover over the “Get Involved” button located in the menu bar of the page and if you are a high school student, click ‘Host an Event’ and if you are a college student, click ‘College Chapters.’ This will allow you to fill out an Interest Form, so you can learn more! Once that is submitted, we will contact you to set up a call to explain the process in more detail and give you next steps to get started.
Q: What if my school is in an urban area?
A: While Urban Events look a little different than other events, they are still able to be successful! We have Urban Mentors who can help connect you with local organizations and find the best spots to plant in your area. In addition, we have an Environmental Equity Committee that can help you host your event. Learn more by going to the ‘About Us’ button at the top of the page. We know how important it is to plant trees in urban areas, so this is something we are always trying to improve upon.
Q: Who can host an event?
A: High schools, middle schools, elementary schools, etc. are all able to host events! In order to achieve our mission of leveraging the power and passion of youth, we would like students to lead their Tree-Plenish events. Other community members may certainly help organize these events, ideally with students involved, but any school can host an event.
Q: What am I expected to do as an event host?
A: With support from the Tree-Plenish Team, you will determine the logistics for the event (ex. school’s energy consumption, event date, etc.), market it to your community, and ensure everything goes smoothly on the day of the event.
Q: When do I host the event?
A: All in person events are hosted in the spring (the optimal planting season for bare root seedlings). All planning and marketing is done remotely in the fall and winter.
Q: Does hosting an event cost money?
A: Not at all! We will handle all the financial aspects of this event, including ordering the saplings for your event and collecting money from residents that order saplings.
Q: Besides financially, how will Tree-Plenish support me in my efforts to host an event?
A: The Tree-Plenish team is much like a group of mentors here to support you every step of the way. We have videos and PDF guides that walk you through every step of the planning process. We provide lots of supporting resources, including graphics and email templates. Our mentors are here to answer questions through chat support and Office Hours.
Q: Do I need to host an event through my school?
A: No. While we know that this can be a great project for a club to take on, you do not need to be part of a club to host an event. You can do this on your own or with a group of friends. While you will need to work with your school to find your school's energy consumption, you do not need to host a school-sponsored Tree-Plenish event. The event can be conducted independent from the school if you wish.
Q: If I host an event, can I get volunteer hours?
A: Yes. We are a 501(c)(3) organization, so we can sign off on volunteer hours and be used as a reference.
Q: What if I am younger than high school age, but still want to help plant trees?
A: If you are not yet in high school, please check out our partner, Neighborhood Forest about getting a free tree for Earth Day.
Event Planning
Q: How do I figure out how many saplings need to be planted?
A: Contact your school’s Main Office. They will be able to tell you how much energy was used during the previous school year by looking at the utility bills. With this information, you can use the High School Sustainability Guide's Carbon Calculator to calculate your school's carbon emissions. We estimate that 1 mature tree absorbs 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Using this information, you can calculate how many saplings need to be planted based on how many pounds of carbon dioxide were emitted.
Q: Can I still host an event if I don’t meet my sapling goal?
A: Yes! We will end sapling orders a month before your event and then order the exact number ordered by your community, whether it is over or under your goal.
Q: Where should the saplings get planted?
A: We think the easiest and most community driven option is to have residents of the community order saplings to be planted right in their yard. However, other options include working with your school administration to have saplings planted on your school campus or working with town officials to plant in parks and other public areas.
Q: What types of saplings should we be planting?
A: Some considerations for choosing which species to plant include making sure the species are native to your area or are well-suited to your local environment. We have compiled a list of species by region for you to choose from. From that list, you will pick 3 species that work best in your plant hardiness zone and are native to your region.
Q: How large are the saplings?
A: The saplings are bare root and are about 2-3 feet tall. They will come in boxes which can be moved in cars. (Note: California fruit trees will be heavier than other sapling species).
Q: Do Tree-Plenish team members come to the events?
A: Because events are happening all over the country and our team is located in different locations, we are not able to go to the events. Your team will be running the event, but we are available to answer questions and we will thoroughly prepare you for it beforehand.
Q: What does a typical event look like?
A: Typically, events are held in a school parking lot. You will set up at your event location, and volunteers will come and pick up the saplings and then plant them in residents’ yards. Residents may also opt to pick up the saplings themselves at the event location.
Community Members
Q: How do I order a sapling?
A: Visit our “Find An Event” page. Select the state you are in. Then select the school that is closest to you. You will be directed to that school’s event page, where you can find the Sapling Order Form. Through this form, you can choose how many of each species you would like and can order the saplings to be planted in your yard on the day of the event.
Q: How do I volunteer to plant a sapling?
A: Visit our “Find An Event” page. Select the state that you are in. Then select the school that is closest to you. You will be directed to that school’s event page where you can find the Volunteer Sign Up Form. This form is where you sign up your team of 2-4 people to volunteer to plant saplings on the day of the event.
Q: How can I sponsor an event?
A: Throughout the fall, student leaders seek sponsors to donate to their event to help provide free saplings for the event. To proactively sponsor an event, visit our “Sponsors” tab to check out the various sponsorship tiers and see how you can support our endeavors. Thank you so much for your interest in supporting our program!
Q: Can I sponsor Tree-Plenish as a whole rather than a specific event?
A: Yes, our Financial Operations team works with organizations who wish to sponsor or partner with Tree-Plenish on an organizational level rather than a local event level. Please reach out to finance@tree-plenish.org if you are interested in being a corporate sponsor or partner.
Q: How can I donate to Tree-Plenish?
A: You can donate by clicking on the “Donate” tab. These donations help to cover organizational costs and make future events possible. Your support is much appreciated!
College Chapters
Q: What are college chapters?
A: College chapters are groups of college students that reach out to local high schools in order to facilitate Tree-Plenish events at their high school.
Q: How does the dynamic between college students and high school students work?
A: The college students should be mentors to help the students plan their Tree-Plenish events. This can include helping the students reach out to homeowners, plan educational community events, volunteering the day of planting, and more.
Q: How do I become a Tree-Plenish college chapter?
A: Hover over the ‘Get Involved’ button at the top of our website and then select ‘College Chapters.’ This will take you to the college chapter page where you can fill out a non-binding interest form. From there, we will contact you to plan an informational meeting.