City of Mesa Kicks Off Tree Planting Season

City of Mesa Kicks Off Tree Planting Season

The City of Mesa is kicking off its 2025-26 tree planting season with events designed to cool our community by increasing the City's tree canopy.

Mesa is partnering with community organizations and volunteers to plant hundreds of trees across the city as part of Trees Are Cool, a citywide initiative launched in 2023 with a bold goal of planting one million trees by 2050. By expanding Mesa's urban tree canopy to 15 percent, the initiative will help create cooler neighborhoods, cleaner air and more shaded public spaces. Achieving this vision will take a collective effort from the entire community.

"We are inspiring Mesa residents and businesses to join us in planting trees by making the process easy and accessible," said Scott Bouchie, Environmental and Sustainability Department Director. "Imagine a cooler Mesa - the shade provided by these trees means more comfortable exercise, longer park visits and a welcome respite from the heat for everyone."

The ideal time to plant native and desert-adapted trees is from October through March, and residents are invited to participate in one or more of the upcoming events:

•Oct. 3, 8 a.m. - Get Answers, Get Planting
Emerald Park 1455 S. Harris Drive
Participants will learn about tree care and maintenance and get questions answered by an arborist. Events are scheduled on the first Friday of the month through March. Future dates and locations available on the website.

•Oct. 4, 10 a.m. - Mesa Electric Shade Tree Workshop
Charles K. Luster Building. 640 N. Mesa Drive
Mesa Electric Customers can attend a workshop to qualify for two free trees. Registration is required.

•Oct. 25, 7:30 a.m. - Community Tree Planting
Reed Park, 1631 E. Broadway Road
Residents and businesses are invited to help plant up to 100 trees at this large-scale planting event and then stay for an informative discussion about Mesa's urban forest. Register to volunteer: English | Spanish. Partners include The Nature Conservancy, Arizona Sustainability Alliance, Watershed Management Group, Unlimited Potential, Trees Matter, Arizona Columbine Garden Club and the Garden Club of America.

•Nov. 8, 10 a.m. - Mesa Neighborhood Shade Tree Workshop
Eagles Community Center, 828 E. Broadway Road
Residents in Sherwood Park and surrounding neighborhoods can attend the workshop and receive two free trees. Registration is required.

There are many additional ways residents and businesses can help grow Mesa's tree canopy and cool the community:

•Plant a tree (or two) at home and record them on Mesa's tree map. •Renters can talk with property managers about the benefits of trees and encourage tree planting and proper care. •Plant trees at your business. •Donate a tree for a City of Mesa park by emailing [email protected].

The City of Mesa is also actively expanding our urban forest. Staff from the Transportation, Transit and Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Departments planted 1,060 trees in fiscal year 2024-25, contributing to the one-million-tree goal. Arborists across the city work efficiently to replace dead or diseased trees and diversify Mesa's urban forest using industry best practices.

For information on tree planting, care and Mesa's tree inventory, visit the All About Trees page and explore Mesa's Tree Benefits Dashboard to see the variety of trees growing across our city.