For Immediate Release
Héctor González, Communications Strategy Manager, TreeFolks
Email: hector@treefolks.org | office: 512-575-2870 | cell: 512-903-4253
Through Rooted in Recovery, TreeFolks is helping restore flood-damaged creek and river corridors with native trees, landowner support, and long-term care
Austin, TX – June 22, 2026 – As Central Texas marks one year since the devastating July 4, 2025, floods, TreeFolks is honoring the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the communities still carrying the weight of that day. In the coming months, TreeFolks will plant thousands of trees in the affected areas through our Rooted in Recovery program.
For many across Central Texas, recovery has meant more than rebuilding homes, clearing debris, and repairing roads. It has also meant grieving loved ones, standing with neighbors, and facing landscapes that were changed in a matter of hours. Along creeks, rivers, and floodplains, trees that once shaded homes, held soil in place, supported wildlife, and shaped people’s sense of home were damaged or washed away.
Through Rooted in Recovery, TreeFolks is working to help restore those damaged landscapes and support long-term healing in flood-affected areas. The program provides post-disaster restoration services using native trees produced in the TreeFolks nursery from locally gathered seeds. The service is provided at no cost to eligible landowners in Travis, Williamson, and Burnet counties whose riparian areas, streambanks, or floodplain forests were damaged by the floods.
“On this anniversary, we first hold space for the people and families who experienced unimaginable loss,” said Andrew Smiley, Executive Director of TreeFolks. “Our work does not erase that grief. But we believe planting trees can be one way to care for the land, support recovery, and invest in the future of communities that deserve to feel rooted again.”
Rooted in Recovery provides eligible landowners with native trees and plants selected for Central Texas floodplain conditions, professional planting services, site assessments, restoration planning, technical guidance, and post-planting support. Planting plans typically include 400 to 500 saplings per acre and at least 10 native species, tailored to each site’s needs.
The impact of this work will grow over time. Restored creekside and riverside forests can help stabilize streambanks, reduce erosion, slow stormwater, improve water quality, rebuild wildlife habitat, and create stronger natural systems that can better withstand future extreme weather. Over the next three years, TreeFolks plans to plant thousands of native trees in flood-affected areas through its Rooted in Recovery program.
“After the flood, many landowners talked about how many trees they lost and how deeply that changed the places they knew,” said Marina Weikel, Reforestation and GIS Manager at TreeFolks. “Those conversations were not only about restoration plans. They were also about grief, memory, and neighbors finding each other. Through this work, landowners can become stewards together as these trees take root.”
TreeFolks brings decades of experience to this recovery effort. Since 1989, the organization has helped Central Texans build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees. TreeFolks has also supported post-disaster reforestation after the 2011 Bastrop County wildfires and the 2015 Blanco River floods, bringing practical knowledge, native tree expertise, and long-term stewardship to communities recovering after loss.
Rooted in Recovery continues that legacy while responding to the specific needs of flood-affected Central Texas communities. The work is both ecological and deeply human. Each tree planted helps restore shade, soil, habitat, and waterways. Each restored creek corridor is also a step toward a future where communities can feel more protected, connected, and resilient.
TreeFolks is working with the Hill Country Alliance and is supported by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to advance this restoration work.
“Recovery takes time,” Smiley said. “A tree planted today will not replace what was lost overnight. But with care, these trees will grow into living reminders that healing is possible, that the land is worth tending, and that Central Texans can continue showing up for one another.”
How to Get Involved
Landowners interested in learning more about Rooted in Recovery can visit treefolks.org/rootedinrecovery for program details and eligibility information.
Community members, businesses, and supporters who want to help fund this work can visit treefolks.org/recovery to contribute to Rooted in Recovery.
About TreeFolks
TreeFolks empowers Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees. Since 1989, TreeFolks has worked with volunteers, landowners, public agencies, and community partners to expand and restore the urban and rural forest across Central Texas. Through programs focused on tree planting, tree adoption, reforestation, education, and long-term stewardship, TreeFolks helps create healthier, cooler, and more resilient communities.
Photo credit: Erika Rich
