Join us April 20-27 as we celebrate trees

In the spirit of community, Speak for the Trees, Boston, is proud to announce a series of events to celebrate trees and all they give us. We hope you can join us either in-person or online to acknowledge, thank, and honor trees. Trees are critical for our well being; they provide us with clean air, connection, cooler temperatures, beauty, character, a feeling of home, perspective, and strong community.

See our full calendar of events 

Our events include….

• On Thursday, April 18th from 11:00am-2:00pm, Speak for the Trees and WS Development are bagging 600 seedlings that will be distributed throughout Boston during Arbor Week. Click here to sign up to bag seedlings. 
• Kicking off Arbor Week on Saturday, April 20th from 9:00am – 12:00pm, Forest Therapy Guide Tam Willey will lead us in slowing down and awakening our senses during a guided therapeutic experience at the Arnold Arboretum. Register and join Tam for Forest Bathing.
• Also on Saturday, April 20th, Speak for the Trees will be holding a tree care event at Harambee Park from 10:00am-1:00pm. Participants will be looking after the trees that have been planted and picking up litter around the park. Register here. 
• To wrap up this busy Saturday, a Tree ID Walk will be taking place at the East Boston Public Library from 11:30am-1:00pm. Find more information here.
• On Monday, April 22nd, Dr. Christine Carmichael will be giving a talk on her book “Racist Roots” at More Than Words from 5:00pm-7:30pm. Register here.
• On Tuesday, April 23rd, from 6:00pm-7:30pm, Dr. Christine Carmichael will be giving a talk on her book “Racist Roots” at the Urban Farming Institute. Register here.
• On Wednesday, April 24th, Dr. Christine Carmichael will be giving a talk on her book “Racist Roots” at Frugal Bookstore. If you are interested in environmental justice, we highly recommend attending!  Register here.
• On Thursday, April 25th, join us at the Arnold Arboretum where artist Jane Marsching will lead participants in making oracle cards. Ink from Black Cherry trees will be used. Click here to learn more and register for the event.
• Unable to attend Forest Bathing at the Arnold Arboretum? Have no fear because on Saturday April 27th, from 9:00am – 12:00pm, Forest Therapy Guide Tam Willey will lead us in slowing down and awakening our senses during a guided therapeutic experience at Franklin Park. Click here to register.
• Also on Saturday, April 27th, Kari Percival, local author and illustrator will be reading her book How to Say Hello to a Worm at Martin’s Park from 11:30am-1:00pm. Register here for an incredible reading and signed copy. 
• For our final event, on Saturday April 27th from 11:00am-4:00pm, Speak for the Trees is holding an EPA celebration and Tree Giveaway at the Edgewater Food Forest. Interested in attending the celebration and learning more about our Community Tree Walks Project? Register here!
• Unable to attend events but interested in showing your love for trees? “Seeing Trees Through Your Eyes” allows individuals to share the reasons they find trees significant through art. Interested in participating? Find more information and submit your artwork here!

Yes, we’re also giving away free trees and seedlings

On Saturday, April 27th from 11:00am -4:00pm, we’re at Edgewater Food Forest giving away FREE trees for community members to plant at their homes. Sign up for your free sapling in Mattapan today.

We’re also collaborating with community partners across the city for our free seedling giveaways. Find one near you.

An Acknowledgement

As we celebrate trees, we acknowledge that the celebration and reverence of trees did not begin in 1872 with white settlers creating a holiday. The Indigenous people of what is now Boston, Massachusetts, have long celebrated the power and importance of trees and stewarded this land, in part through trees, for hundreds of generations. We have much to learn from the deep knowledge still held within these communities. As we enter a week of national celebration of trees, we extend gratitude for the the opportunity to work and meet on this sacred land. We extend our respect to citizens of these Nations – the Massachusett, the Wampanoag, and Nipmuc Peoples – and their ancestors who have lived here for over five hundred generations, and to all Indigenous people. We also affirm that this acknowledgement is insufficient. It does not undo the harm that has been done and continues to be perpetrated now against Indigenous people, their land, and their water. Our work is committed, in part, to dismantle the systems and heal the pain from this history. In whatever small part, we hope that our work together to celebrate trees can assist in this process.

What is Arbor Day?

When settlers first moved into the Nebraska Territory, the lack of trees was significant and surprising to them. In response, the very first Arbor Day was celebrated on April 10th, 1872 with over 1 million trees planted. By 1920, 45 states were celebrating Arbor Day, and today Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states. A unique, relevant, and emboldening holiday, Arbor Day is a statement of our hope and commitment to our collective future. And, just like 150 years ago, it remains a time to gather together to celebrate trees – and the larger environment – for their importance.

This Arbor Week, please support our work in growing Tree Equity in Boston

Thank you to our generous sponsors