For our future: What we can do together for forests and for people 

For 150 years, American Forests and our partners have stood for ensuring that all people have access to the benefits of trees. It will take continued collective action to reach pivotal milestones for resilient forests and communities.

American Forests’ National Tree Equity Movement Reaches 1,000 U.S. Communities

American Forests announced today that over 1,000 cities across the country are advancing Tree Equity, far exceeding its original goal of helping 100 U.S. cities advance equitable tree canopy.

For communities: How trees + social equity create healthy, resilient communities 

For 150 years, American Forests and our partners have stood for ensuring that all people — regardless of race or income — have access to the benefits of trees.

American Forests and Washington Department of Natural Resources Launch Statewide Tree Equity Score Analyzer

Tree Equity Score Analyzers help to evaluate and prioritize areas in Washington with the greatest need for tree cover to help every community in the state achieve Tree Equity.

American Forests Applauds Introduction of the Cool Corridors Act 

As extreme heat becomes the deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States, claiming an estimated 12,000 lives annually, the Cool Corridors Act represents a vital step forward in protecting public health, strengthening community resilience and improving urban quality of life.

American Forests urges Congress to reject efforts to sell public lands and cut forestry funding in the budget reconciliation bill

On June 16, 2025, the U.S. Senate released its version of the budget reconciliation bill, which included sweeping proposals that would have serious consequences for forests, public lands and climate progress. Among the most alarming were provisions mandating the sale of millions of acres of public lands and rolling back critical investments for forests and communities. These proposals threaten to undermine decades of conservation gains, weaken public access and accelerate climate risk.

Digging deep: Building together for amplified impact

American Forests focuses on building a movement for amplified impact, digging deeper toward lasting large-scale impact for future generations.

Digging deep: Innovating together for science-led impact

American Forests focuses on innovating together for science-led impact, digging deeper toward reforestation and resiliency.

Digging deep: Partnering together for large-scale impact

American Forests focuses on partnering together for large-scale impact, digging deeper toward reforestation and resiliency.

Digging Deep Together

2024 was the year American Forests dug deep together into the science-led, partnership-driven, large-scale impact work that propels our mission forward.

Why trees save lives: The benefits of shade

You’ve likely experienced the benefits of shade — but not everyone can. Tree Equity Score’s new shade mapping provides the data to change that.

A life-saving infrastructure: Why trees are critical to our health 

Trees can lower blood pressure, boost immune function, and decrease the risk of heart disease. Their immense health benefits can make trees life-saving infrastructure. This is why it is so important to ensure that all communities have access to trees and the benefits they provide.

A chance to thrive: How trees can support a future 

Trees provide so many benefits that enrich all of our lives. But for some individuals, trees can change the trajectory of their life and provide a second chance and an opportunity to thrive.

American Forests Announces American Heart Association as Newest Member of Tree Equity Alliance  

American Forests enters a strategic alliance with the American Heart Association to raise awareness of the connection between tree cover and cardiovascular health. 

More than a map: Tree Equity Score serves as interdisciplinary tool to inspire youth

A Pennsylvania educator uses the Tree Equity Score tool to engage and inspire students.

Branching out: Growing careers and spreading equity through urban forestry

Urban forestry workforce development programs are planting future opportunities through equitable career training.

American Forests expands Tree Equity Score Analyzer to Houston with help from Google.org

Volunteers helped plant 50 trees at Shadydale Elementary, an area with a low Tree Equity Score, which will help improve the area’s tree canopy in the future.

The need for Tree Equity is heating up

Equitable access to trees can help cities combat the increasing impacts of extreme heat.

Beating the heat with the right trees in the right places

A word from our president and chief executive officer

Rooted in collaboration: San Antonio’s unified efforts bare fruit

American Forests and three local San Antonio nonprofits team up to bring Tree Equity to the Texas city.

J.M. Kaplan Fund supports American Forests in advancing nature-based climate solutions

The J.M. Kaplan Fund’s legacy of long-term stewardship helps to advance nature-based climate solutions.

Justice grows where trees take root

Tree Equity Ambassador Jerome Foster strives to further ignite the movement to transform our urban landscapes.

Keeping forests front and center on the Hill

American Forests’ recent and upcoming policy efforts seek to elevate trees and forests in cities and large landscapes.

Tool helps neighborhood nursery paint picture of the need for Tree Equity

A Columbus, Ohio, tree nursery utilizes an analyzer tool to teach residents about the need for Tree Equity.

QA: What nurseries need to reforest a city 

We need 500 million more trees to achieve Tree Equity across America – and urban nurseries will need support to meet this incredible demand.

American Forests opens $12 million grant funding opportunity for faith-based and frontline environmental justice organizations advancing Tree Equity 

American Forests has opened our second funding opportunity for faith-based and frontline environmental justice organizations advancing Tree Equity. Awards will be made through a competitive request for proposals (RFP) process.

Building resilience: How Tree Equity can address extreme heat and promote climate justice 

American Forests helped to unlock the historic $1.5 billion for urban and community forestry in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), and American Forests is putting these dollars into action as a national pass-through funding partner of the USDA Forest Service through our Tree Equity Catalyst Initiative.

American Forests awards over $25 million in grants to 36 urban and community projects to promote Tree Equity  

The funding will help bring the many benefits of trees and urban greening to communities across the country, especially those that have been historically disadvantaged.

The state of the seed

American Forests introduced Seed September in 2022 as a month to raise awareness of the scarcity of one of our most important small resources. Two years later, this much is still true: we need seeds and trees more than ever before.

A Tale of Two Cities

Two American Forests staff visited neighborhoods in both San Antonio and Washington D.C. on June 26 during a sweltering afternoon, using Tree Equity Score to locate areas with and without trees.

Tree Equity Score Analyzer takes root in Toronto

Tree Equity Score Analyzer (TESA) Toronto is the first urban forestry tool of its kind launched for a city outside the United States.

From startup to global model: Tree Equity Score celebrates 3 years of success and growth 

Three years ago, American Forests launched Tree Equity Score. What began as a simple idea – measuring and mapping how much of a city is covered by trees and forests – has quickly taken root and grown in cities across the country and, increasingly, around the world.  

American Forests joins leading nonprofits in call for congressional action on extreme heat and Tree Equity

With the extreme heat season approaching, U.S. Representatives Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) convened a panel of leading nonprofits, including American Forests, to raise awareness of the significant threat posed by extreme heat and its disparate impact on communities of color and disadvantaged communities,

Keeping our summer dreams alive

A word from our president and chief executive officer

“OK Google, what is Tree Equity?”

How support and data from Google are elevating the Tree Equity Score tool.

Shade for survival

Tree Equity efforts in Houston strive to help the city combat extreme heat.

American Forests hosts extreme heat briefing to address the worsening effects of climate change

American Forests is hosting a Congressional briefing on Tuesday, May 14 at the Longworth House Office Building on policies that can help to reduce the increasingly severe impacts of extreme heat on communities and ecosystems across the country.

The Detroit News: Tree Equity is essential for health equity

The spring planting season is well underway and the Detroit Tree Equity Partnership's goal of planting 5,000 trees by the end of this summer is within reach! Learn more from Jad Daley, CEO of American Forests, and Jerry Norcia, CEO of DTE Energy in their latest article in The Detroit News (subscription needed).

Community takes action on extreme heat in El Mirage, Arizona

Tree Equity is a major challenge in Arizona because of extreme heat - our partnership with the Arizona Sustainability Alliance is one of American Forests’ place-based efforts meant to ensure that we bring communities into the center as we expand equitable tree cover nationally. 

Four ways to love trees back this Earth Month

Trees provide us with cooler cities, cleaner water, improved well-being and biodiversity. Here are four ways you can love trees back this Earth Month.

American Forests and Green Columbus improve Tree Equity in Central Ohio with help from Google

American Forests, the first national nonprofit conservation organization in the U.S., worked alongside Green Columbus to plant 50 trees at Columbus Africentric Early College High School.

Phoenix Metro Urban Forestry Roundtable works to cool America’s hottest city 

The Phoenix Metro Urban Forestry Roundtable is working to make Tree Equity a reality through cross-sector partnership and a holistic approach to urban forestry in the age of extreme heat.

American Forests Recognizes Senator Cory Booker with Tree Equity Champion Award 

Today, American Forests announced that Senator Cory Booker has been recognized as the 2023 Tree Equity Champion Award recipient, an annual award for leaders who help advance the health and restoration of America's forests.

For California couple, trees are a “gift” and a motivation for change

In the wake of personal wildfire experiences, California couple makes effort to do their part to protect the environment and the “gift” of trees.

Unprecedented funding for American Forests, America’s forests

Largest-ever congressional investment in urban forestry now includes $50 million award to American Forests’ Tree Equity Catalyst Initiative and Fund.

Rooted ambitions: Nurturing trees and cultivating careers in New York City

College interns with the Greenbelt Native Plant Center are making a big difference for New York’s urban forests.

Freshwater, the beating heart of the Evergreen State

Trees and water have an intrinsic relationship along the course of the Puyallup River, from the mountaintop to the city to the ocean.

Tree Equity Score goes international

Team members from American Forests, Woodland Trust, and Centre for Sustainability weigh in about the groundbreaking launch of Tree Equity Score UK.

Climate justice tool “Tree Equity Score” launches in United Kingdom to illustrate that trees are not distributed equally

American Forests, Woodland Trust, and The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare today unveiled the U.K. Tree Equity Score, a tool from U.S. conservation nonprofit American Forests intended to bring awareness to inequitable tree cover and the disparities it creates.

Bipartisan TREES Act harnesses power of trees in cooling communities, saving electricity

The TREES Act embraces the power of trees and prioritizes low-income communities to create cooler, more equitable neighborhoods while reducing energy consumption.

Growing trees, growing hope in Motor City

American Forests has been working with local stakeholders like Marcellus in Detroit for years to expand the city’s tree canopy, launching an effort alongside The Greening of Detroit and other partners in October 2022 with the creation of the Detroit Tree Equity Partnership.

Tree Equity is helping to combat extreme heat in Phoenix 

Advancing Tree Equity at a national scale and meeting American Forests’ goals of advancing Tree Equity in at least 100 cities by 2030, forms the basis of our local-to-national program model. Our approach to place-based partnerships, like in Phoenix, flips several existing urban forestry management paradigms on their head.  

Sheffield, City of Steel…and trees

American Forests and partners in the United Kingdom bring the groundbreaking Tree Equity Score tool across the pond.

We need Tree Equity for climate justice

A word from our president and chief executive officer

American Forests and Weyerhaeuser team up to implement Tree Equity curriculum

First-of-its-kind curriculum developed by American Forests and Weyerhaeuser teaches high school students about Tree Equity and green careers.

Ushering in the next generation: Tree Equity Score 2.0

Learn more about Tree Equity Score 2.0 in this Q&A with Chris David, vice president of GIS and data science at American Forests.

New statewide collaborative aims to make Tree Equity moonshot a reality

New Washington State Tree Equity Collaborative makes first statewide commitment to elevate Tree Equity Scores.

ZYRTEC® partners with American Forests to extend relief beyond the allergy brand’s products

ZYRTEC® partners with American Forests to extend relief beyond the allergy brand’s products.

Award-winning climate justice exhibition drives partnership between Detroit African American museum and arts college

Art and Tree Equity combine in an award-winning Detroit exhibition.

A blank canvas for Tree Equity

A new mural in Houston is the first U.S. installment in a series that will draw attention to Tree Equity and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Tree Equity is growing in Phoenix

A word from our president and chief executive officer

Extreme heat, urban forestry bills will plant trees, cool neighborhoods

American Forests is ready to support the Office of Environmental Justice and federal agencies to prioritize the needs of frontline communities. Expanding urban forest canopies will be an essential part of the equation, narrowing environmental inequities and providing communities with cleaner air and water, as well as temperature-reducing shade.

American Forests Applauds Creation of White House Office of Environmental Justice

American Forests is ready to support the Office of Environmental Justice and federal agencies to prioritize the needs of frontline communities. Expanding urban forest canopies will be an essential part of the equation, narrowing environmental inequities and providing communities with cleaner air and water, as well as temperature-reducing shade.

American Forests, Washington DNR announce statewide partnership to advance Tree Equity

American Forests and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are launching the Washington Tree Equity Collaborative, a statewide partnership to achieve Tree Equity across the Evergreen State by expanding and fortifying neighborhood tree canopy cover.

Investing in urban forestry workforce innovation

How the Tree Equity Workforce Network is raising the bar on pre-employment training.

Richmond grows greener using hyperlocal data

Hyperlocal data drives decision making to combat environmental inequities across Richmond, Va.

A legacy of love for the Great Lakes

The Erb Family Foundation supports the Detroit Tree Equity Partnership.

Changing the face of urban forestry

The new Detroit Tree Equity Partnership is enhancing neighborhoods, creating jobs and providing lasting impact in its city.

Forest Footnotes

Exciting developments, outside of American Forests, in the field of forestry.

Making Tree Equity a reality: U.S. cities participate in first Tree Equity Learning Lab

What does creating Tree Equity in American cities actually look like? This fall, American Forests set out to answer this question. It turns out that every city has a different answer.

We partnered with TAZO Tea to create an urban forestry workforce

American Forests and TAZO Tea teamed up in 2021 and launched the TAZO Tree Corps, a paid, locally-hired workforce that is planting and taking care of trees to help mitigate climate change, address environmental injustice and bring jobs to people of color and those in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Bank of America & American Forests

Bank of America is working with American Forests to create equitable urban forests and career pathways in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The quest for Tree Equity in a desert city

How Masavi Perea is working to advance environmental justice while cooling Phoenix neighborhoods.

Two Arizona cities take major steps towards realizing Tree Equity

American Forests partners with the cities of Phoenix and Tucson to help achieve Tree Equity.

With no time to lose, we must keep score

A word from our president and chief executive officer.

The Understory: How many trees do our cities need?

Place-Based Partnerships: Coming together to plant trees and help them thrive in desert cities

The city of Phoenix is committed to planting trees to help double its vegetative land cover to 25% over the

Washington Outlook: New American Forests policy platform advocates government’s role in creating Tree Equity

Tree Equity is about ensuring every urban neighborhood has enough trees so that every person benefits from them. Credit: Rungtiwa

Washington Outlook: New American Forests policy platform advocates government’s role in creating Tree Equity

Learn about American Forests’ new recommendations for how the federal government can help create Tree Equity.

Offshoots: U.S. plants roots in global trillion trees movement

By Jad Daley The U.S. needs healthy and resilient forests more than ever, given that they are the best nature-based

Donor Profile: Sheryl Gold

Advocate inspires with decades-long support of forests Sheryl Gold in her East Hampton, N.Y., backyard. Gold has been an advocate

Youth Profile: Joshua Simon

Southern roots lead to career in urban forestry Joshua Simon is a master’s student studying environmental social science at the

Forest Footnotes: Fall 2020

#BlackBotanistsWeek — celebrating black people who love plants #BlackBotanistsWeek, a social media campaign, helped promote, encourage and create a safe

Growing trees, growing jobs

How growing trees and building healthy forests can breed jobs during the unemployment crisis.

Growing trees, growing jobs

How restoring forests across the United States can help address the unemployment crisis By Michele Kurtz After being incarcerated, William

Earthkeepers: Rhode Island Governor, a Tree Equity champion

Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo receives American Forests’ inaugural Tree Equity Champion Award for her bold urban forestry strategy.

Earthkeepers: Rhode Island Governor, a Tree Equity champion

Raimondo volunteers at a tree planting event in Woonsocket, R.I. on Arbor Day 2019. Credit: Office of Governor Gina M.

Innovation: American Forests launches Tree Equity Score tool to help cities expand tree cover

Trees in the U.S. absorb 17.4 million tons of air pollutants, preventing 670,000 cases of asthma and other acute respiratory

Innovation: American Forests launches Tree Equity Score tool to help cities expand tree cover

How a new tool to assess Tree Equity Score will help cities expand tree cover.

Planting Tree Equity

In cities across the country, marginalized communities suffer from a lack of trees. American Forests helps people see that disparity

Planting Tree Equity

Learn how economic inequity and tree cover in cities are inextricably linked, as well as what American Forests does to create Tree Equity.

American Forests + Tree Equity

Offshoots: New Momentum for Tree Equity

By Jad Daley American Forests sees Tree Equity as a moral imperative, offering a litmus test of our nation’s commitment

Earthkeepers: Restoring the Roots of Rock

How the music industry’s future depends on healthy forests and what American Forests, the U.S. Forest Service and Fender Musical Instruments are doing to ensure the stability of both.

Earthkeepers: Restoring the Roots of Rock

By Ian Leahy Fender Musical Instruments knows the importance of protecting the species that produce the wood that is transformed

Investing in People by Investing in Trees

By Sarah L. Anderson The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that urban forestry will see a 10 percent increase

Investing in People by Investing in Trees

Discover what American Forests does to bridge the gap between urban forestry job shortages and people who need career opportunities the most through our Career Pathways: Tree Equity initiative.

Changing the Face of the Outdoors

By Sarah Mae Brown José González gets ready to lead a group of children as they raft the Tuolumne River.

American Forests and Bank of America to Plant Trees in Houston

American Forests and Bank of America to Plant Trees in Houston American Forests and Bank of America will be in

Workshop Recap – “Trees for All: Equity Metrics and Fundraising”

Workshop Recap – “Trees for All: Equity Metrics and Fundraising” Trees for All: Equity Metrics and Fundraising was a day-long workshop, held

From the Field: Washington D.C.

Washington, D.C. Sarah L. Anderson, Senior Manager, Tree Equity Programs Sarah Anderson spoke on diversifying the workforce at the first

Leadership Profile: Kesha Braunskill

Leadership Profile: Kesha Braunskill – Making Black History Now in 2019 American Forests is pleased to highlight those who have