NeighborWoods Receives Award and Staff Inspire Spanish-Language Conservation Efforts
At the 45th Texas Tree Conference held this fall in Waco, TreeFolks staff gathered among fellow stewards of Texas’s green future and left with both recognition and renewed purpose. The TreeFolks NeighborWoods program was honored with the Outstanding Community Forestry Program award, highlighting its work to distribute more than 7,000 five-gallon native trees each planting season to neighborhoods, schools, parks, and congregations across Austin, particularly in areas of low canopy coverage, while also providing education and training for tree adopters.
“Nature has no borders, and when conservationists come together, we are reminded that every tree we plant strengthens a shared canopy for future generations.”
This recognition would not have been possible without the steadfast support of the City of Austin and Austin Energy, whose partnership makes the NeighborWoods program thrive year after year. TreeFolks extends its deepest gratitude to these partners for their commitment to expanding the urban forest and ensuring that all Austinites can share in the benefits of healthy, shaded communities.
The conference was not just a celebration of achievement; it was also a space to strengthen the bonds between conservationists from every corner of Texas. Nature has no borders, and this gathering reminded everyone that the health of our forests and communities is interconnected. On the Spanish track, TreeFolks staff members Vít Kašpar and Héctor González presented “Plantando Viveros para Todos” (Growing a Nursery of Nurseries). They shared the design, challenges, successes, and replicable steps of the TreeFolks’ Seed-to-Trees Native Nursery program. Vít and Héctor offered strategies for Spanish-speaking communities to create their own nurseries and propagate native species.
“By sharing the Seed-to-Trees Native Nursery program in Spanish, we are planting more than seedlings—we are planting knowledge, hope, and resilience across cultures and regions.”
This combination of recognition and knowledge-sharing speaks to TreeFolks’ mission of leadership and collaboration. The award celebrates what has been accomplished, while the presentation sows the seeds for others to carry forward. It is a reminder that when conservationists come together, they are not just planting trees; they are cultivating a collective canopy of resilience and hope for all.
The NeighborWoods program is a partnership with the City of Austin and Austin Energy.
Author
The TreeFolks’ staff who attended the conference helped write this article.
