Community Tree & Forestry Organizations in Alaska

Anchorage TREErific

Anchorage TREErific is a community group with a mission: Enriching our community through the planting, caring, and promotion of trees. TREErific volunteers meet for educational presentations, field trips, and to plan and sponsor tree planting or maintenance projects. For information or to be added to the e-mail list for notice of events, visit TREErific’s website or contact treerificAnchorage@yahoo.com.

Anchorage TREErific secured a grant from the Anchorage Parks Foundation to fund this tree planting and training at Lyn Ary Park in 2007. Volunteers continue to water and maintain these trees.

Anchorage TREErific brochure
Front Back
TREErific Report on Tree Plantings

Fairbanks Arbor Day Committee

Arbor Day Committee volunteers have organized tree-planting events in the Fairbanks area each year for over 25 years. In 2005, the committee was honored at the National Arbor Day Foundation's annual awards ceremony as a "program that best represents the spirit of the tree planters' holiday."

Arbor Day Committee members plant trees in Veteran’s Memorial Park, one of many Arbor Day plantings in Fairbanks.

Fairbanks Arbor Day Committee
c/o Ritchie Musick
P.O. Box 161
Ester, AK 99725

Les Fortune
lesfortune@hotmail.com

Fairbanks North Star Borough

The borough has an Urban Forestry Plan and a mission, to provide a hazard free, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing urban forest system in and around Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks. The borough completed an inventory of trees in 47 parks in 2005 and has developed a management plan.

John Haas
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Department of Parks & Recreation
P.O. Box 71267
Fairbanks, AK 99707
(907) 459 – 1198
jhaas@co.Fairbanks.ak.us

Homer Tree Stewards

Homer Tree Stewards advise the Homer City Council on community tree and forestry issues and organize education and tree planting events.

Community Tree Stewards get hands-on experience at the University of Alaska Kachemak Bay campus.

C/O Homer Soil & Water Conservation District

(907) 235-8177

The Juneau Urban Forestry Partnership

Juneau Urban Forestry Partnership is a volunteer nonprofit group that promotes the selection, planting, and care of trees within Juneau. The group is composed of community members ranging from master gardeners and foresters to landscape architects and members at large. Juneau Urban Forestry Partnership organizes Arbor Day activities and other tree plantings, works with local schools and youth groups, and provides tree and forestry related information.

JUFP plants trees in Cope Park on Arbor Day 2008

For more information, see the following publications:

- JUFP website: juneautrees.wordpress.com

- To be added to the email list, send a request to juneautrees@yahoo.com

- City & Borough of Juneau Parks contact: Terry Hinkley terry_hinkley@ci.juneau.ak.us

Sitka Tree and Landscape Committee

The seven-member committee, begun in 2001, has helped the City of Sitka complete a tree inventory and landscape plan. The group organizes projects to plant and care for trees. It has sponsored a landscape beautification contest and partnered with the local utility to produce a brochure on planting the right tree in the right place and mailed it to all customers.

Sitkans celebrate after planting trees and shrubs near the O'Connell Bridge to the airport in 2006.

In 2008, Sitka volunteers planted trees at the new Kimsham Recreation Complex, built over a former landfill. A Community Forestry Program grant funded the planting.

Chairman Joe D'Arienzo: delsenzo@hotmail.com
(907) 747-7448

Other Communities

For information on how you can become involved in tree planting or other community forestry activities in your community, please contact the Alaska Community Forestry Program.