What is Keep Austin Rooted?
Keep Austin Rooted is a grassroots awareness and fundraising campaign which was developed to inspire Austinites to support TreeFolks and its efforts to plant and nurture trees throughout the city.
What are the main goals of Keep Austin Rooted?
Keep Austin Rooted has three main goals: reverse the trend of tree canopy loss right here in Austin, combat the climate crisis through the benefits that trees offer, and plant 1 million more trees. For every $3 donated TreeFolks can plant one native Texas tree!
How else can I get involved beyond making a contribution?
Community members and supporters can get involved by either donating or spreading the word about the campaign via social media or word of mouth. In the future, there will also be opportunities to volunteer and help us plant trees.
When is Keep Austin Rooted Day?
An official City of Austin proclamation states that Friday, November 6th, 2020, is officially Keep Austin Rooted Day! TreeFolks will celebrate through a series of interactive and digital engagements throughout the city, which are slated to include a tree planting demonstration, NeighborWoods tree adoption deliveries, and a few pop-up sapling distributions.
Where are the trees being planted?
Regarding trees purchased through Keep Austin Rooted, we are currently focusing our urban planting efforts on sensitive riparian areas throughout Austin and will continue to plant along vital public lands identified as high priority by the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department.
How will TreeFolks plant the trees?
TreeFolks engages volunteers to plant trees in Austin along waterways and in parks where there is low tree canopy based on the cities planting prioritization map. Additionally, community members that adopt a free tree through the NeighborWoods and Sapling Day programs receive educational materials on how to plant and care for their new tree.
When will the trees be planted?
The Texas tree planting season begins in October and ends in March. During this 5-month period, the weather cools down and the trees go dormant. This means that the trees are more likely to adapt to their surroundings and survive. From April to September temperatures are too high and trees are unlikely to survive if planted.
What kind of trees will be planted?
TreeFolks sources trees from growers and nurseries in Texas and only plants native and native-adapted trees.TreeFolks works hard to improve and nurture biodiversity in planting locations. The trees we plant vary from small to large in stature and can be a mixture of fruit, flowering, and nut bearing.
How long will you be running this campaign?
This initial awareness phase of Keep Austin Rooted is structured as a five-year rollout, but it is TreeFolks’ intention to continue the momentum and rejuvenate our call to action as Austin continues to grow.
About the Organization:
Who is TreeFolks?
TreeFolks is a 501(c)3 nonprofit headquartered in Austin, Texas, that has a mission to empower Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees. Since its founding in 1989, the organization has planted nearly 3 million trees in Central Texas through large-scale reforestation and riparian sapling plantings in Austin parks and waterways. The organization also gives free trees to Austin residents and educates the community about the importance of the urban forest.
What is TreeFolks’ Impact?
TreeFolks has been around for 30 years and has since planted nearly 3 million trees in Central Texas. The organization has engaged over 17,000 volunteers since 2010 and given away over 65,000 trees to the Austin community. TreeFolks also spearheaded two large-scale reforestation efforts after the complex fires of 2011 in Bastrop and the Memorial Day floods of 2015 in Hays County. More recently, TreeFolks launched the Travis County Floodplain Reforestation Program and the Remove & Replace program. Learn more at treefolkstest.wpengine.com
What does TreeFolks do?
TreeFolks focuses on four main areas of programming including Education, Reforestation, NeighborWoods, and CommuniTrees. These programs plant trees in Austin and surrounding areas, educate the community on the importance of stewarding the urban forest, provide free trees for residents of Central Texas, and reforest areas that have lost trees due to natural disasters. The trees are planted by TreeFolks staff, community volunteers, and through the contracted support of the Central Texas Conservation Corps, Superior Forestry Services, and other professional tree planters.
How is TreeFolks executing its programming this season?
Due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, TreeFolks has decided to halt all in-person volunteer opportunities. In lieu of in-person engagement, TreeFolks will be utilizing contractors to plant trees, offering remote volunteer opportunities, enabling contact-free tree delivery services, and hosting virtual engagement opportunities.
