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Services

Trees Forever – What We Do
“How we can Help”

Our approach in working with individuals, groups and communities is multidimensional. Funding provided for your project is always coupled with support and expertise around planning, design, planting coordination, education, etc. Our field coordinators have offices across Iowa and Illinois, so we can meet with you in YOUR community or on your farm to assist with your needs!

Funding for Planting Projects
- Provide funding for tree planting projects
  
  Communities in the Alliant Energy service territory (in IA)
  
  Communities in the Black Hills Energy service territory (in IA)
  
  Des Moines neighborhoods, parks and schools
  
  Cedar Rapids neighborhoods, parks and schools
  
  Provide funding for native plantings including grasses and wildflowers
  
  Communities of populations under 10,000
  
  Provide funding for plantings that improve water quality such as riparian buffers, rain gardens, etc.
  
  In Illinois
  
  In Iowa
  
  Offer assistance in completing applications for funding listed above
  
  Call 1-800-369-1269 x10 or your local field coordinator
  
  Provide information about available sources of funding for projects within your community, rural public lands and private lands
  
  Community Funding Guide
  
  Call 1-800-369-1269 x10 and ask for your local field coordinator

Planning and Design

Planning for plantings for energy efficiency, windbreaks, entryways, trails, parks and green-spaces

1-800-369-1269 x 10 and ask for your local field coordinator

Help your community to brainstorm, plan and/or design a tree planting including selecting appropriate species and sites

Call 1-800-369-1269 x 10 and ask for your local field coordinator

Assist in the planning and implementation of a buffer project on a farm, or rural or urban public area (may be in the rural/urban interface)

Call 1-800-369-1269 x 10 and ask for your local field coordinator or Program Manager

Assist in the design and implementation of an outdoor classroom at your school

Assist in planning and concept design of community beautification projects

Help a farmer create an agroforestry demonstration project that may include niche crops like hazelnuts or aronia berries

Planting and Care Projects

Provide volunteer groups guidance on the elements of a successful project such as

Proper planting techniques
Project coordination
Media and community support
Organizing volunteers
- Call 1-800-369-1269 x 10 and ask for your local field coordinator
- “Working with Volunteers”
- “Organizing Volunteers”

Provide opportunities for volunteers to participate in projects and events such as tree and native prairie plantings, tree inventories, invasive species removal

See our upcoming events
See our volunteer opportunities
Sign up on our website to get information on upcoming events and volunteer opportunities

Assist farmers and rural landowners with targeted water quality projects and windbreak

Involve youth in environmental projects

Leading storm recovery efforts through assessment of damage and future needs, development and prioritization of replanting and restoration projects, and engaging networks of collaborative partners and professionals

Tree and Planting Maintenance

Help develop a maintenance plan for your planting

Call 1-800-369-1269 x 10 and ask for your local field coordinator
Tree maintenance

Visit planting sites after planting to assess conditions and needs for ongoing maintenance.

Call 1-800-369-1269 x 10 and ask for your local field coordinator

Assist with tree maintenance through discussion or demonstration of pruning, mulching, watering techniques

Call 1-800-369-1269 x 10 and ask for your local field coordinator

Assist with native prairie plantings through discussion and demonstration of maintenance techniques

Facilitation and Collaboration
- Guide smaller communities through Visioning process of planning and landscape design along streets, highways, trails, and entryways
  
  Visioning for Communities under 10,000
  
  Engage stakeholders in watershed planning to address water quality issues
  
  Interested groups or individuals may call 1-800-369-1269 and ask for the Working Watersheds Program Manager
  
  Working Watersheds: Buffers & Beyond^TM – Visual Investments to Enhance Watersheds (VIEW) process
  
  Assist in development of a local organization, tree board or committee and provide support and guidance for the group
  
  Call 1-800-369-1269 and ask for your local field coordinator
  
  Facilitate coalitions and steering committees to work together to guide programming or address environmental issues within the community
  
  If you or your organization has a stake in the environmental issues and are interested in working with us as a donor, leader, or decision-maker, please call 1-800-3691269 and ask for Shannon Ramsay
  
  Work with like-minded organizations and individuals to accomplish efforts that will make a difference in our environment
  
  Collaborate with agencies and partners to expose youth to environmental careers, leadership development and hand-on environmental projects within the community.
  
  Growing Futures
  
  If you or your organization would like to become a part of our growing partnership to provide these services to youth, please call 1-800-369-1269 and ask for our Growing Futures Program Manager
Educational, Informational, Resource
- Provide resource materials (see list of resources available directly from Trees Forever)
  
  Present to service clubs, community groups, schools, nature centers, workshops and conferences
  
  Call 1-800-369-1269 to request a speaker. Please specify your topic of interest.
  
  Conduct “how to” workshops
  
  How to fund your project – sources
  
  Community resources
  
  How to be a voice for your community’s natural environment
  
  Our Woodland Legacy
  
  Low Impact Development
  
  Native prairie planting workshop– species id, development, maintenance
  
  Stewards of the Beautiful Land
  
  Why buffers of trees, shrubs and grasses improve water and air quality
  
  Stewards of the Stream publications
  
  Benefits of trees
  
  Planting and Tree Information
  
  Plantings for beautification and environmental benefits
  
  Community Trees
  
  Water quality plantings – ie: buffers, rain gardens
  
  Benefits of Trees
  
  Protecting woodlands in your community
  
  Agroforestry
  
  School projects
  
  Tree identification
  
  How to select the right tree for the right place
  
  What species are native