Written by Daniel Hachet, Project Manager

Have you ever wondered if you could get 11,000 trees in the back of a U-Haul?

Well, we did. And then we did it.

As part of our Evergreen Restoration Program, over two intense days, our team loaded, organized, and delivered more than 11,000 native trees in two days to 14 different locations across Washington state, from Bellingham to Tacoma.

Forterra takes a century-long horizon when we consider the effect of tree planting – we want to imagine in 100 years people walking under the shade of these trees, breathing cleaner air in cooler neighborhoods.

This year, Forterra provided trees to 27 parks – critical green spaces where neighbors gather, and kids play. Research shows that when people feel that their neighborhoods lack green space, they are significantly less likely to walk a mile in their own community. We are changing that, even today.

According to i-Tree (the USDA Forest Service’s analysis tool), even with a 50% survival rate, these 11,000 trees will generate over $11 million in documented value over the next century in terms of community health:

• 120+ football fields of tree canopy shading our streets
• 43,000 tons of CO2 equivalent pulled from our atmosphere
• 638 million gallons of stormwater runoff prevented
• 150 tons of air pollutants filtered out of the air we breathe

Even in a year with budget cuts, our program was able to provide 11,180 trees – the beginning of a $11 million legacy, and the largest number of trees planted in a single year since 2011. And in 100 years, someone will walk beneath the canopy of these trees. They will have no idea about the groaning U-Haul, the grant cuts, or the team hurriedly unloading trees in the rain. They’ll just breathe healthier air. They’ll live in cooler communities.

It proves that when we stand together, we can grow something beautiful.

With deep gratitude to our Corporate Sponsors of the Evergreen Restoration Program for making this program possible. Many thanks to our partner organizations for working with us to plant 11,180 trees:

• Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group
• City of Everett
• Sound Salmon Solutions
• Adopt a Stream Foundation
• City of Shoreline
• Dirt Corps
• Puget Park
• Partner in Employment
• Parks Tacoma
• Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group

Watch the two-day delivery unfold.