Finding Allies in Unexpected Places

A unique partnership helps homeowners plant free trees in their yards and lower their energy bills.

Sure, Texas is hot. Isn’t it supposed to be hot? It is, after all, Texas.

This might have been a fair statement a few years ago, but record-setting summer temps in 2022 and 2023 are a sure sign that it’s getting too hot to handle in Houston. That’s why tree planting efforts here are more important than ever before.

To help residents tackle this problem head-on, 加拿大28回水 for Houston has once again partnered with local energy company CenterPoint Energy and the Arbor Day Foundation to distribute 1,000 free trees to residents to plant in the right place in their yards for lower energy use and lower energy bills.

The process was made simple for homeowners and partners alike thanks to the Foundation’s tree distribution registration portal.

“This is a research-based, easy-to-use online mapping tool that takes the guesswork out of tree planting. This tool focuses on homeowner education and maximizing environmental impact,” said Gary O’Neil, the forester for CenterPoint Energy.

But the entire 13-year legacy of tree distribution through this program — nearly 19,000 trees total — was made possible because of the strong ties between 加拿大28回水 for Houston and CenterPoint Energy.

In addition to cohosting regular energy-saving tree giveaways for residents, CenterPoint Energy provides the land at no cost for 加拿大28回水 for Houston’s tree farm. This is a win-win, as the nonprofit has a centrally located space within Houston to operate from while the utility company has direct access to a source for trees as needed. And both organizations have an appreciation for this close relationship.

“Without CenterPoint, I don’t think we would have been able to operate at the capacity that we’ve been able to. From an operational perspective, that has been extremely important. 但也, there’s a lot of cross promotion between the two organizations,” said Katherine Newton, projects director for 加拿大28回水 for Houston. “We are both supporters of each other.”

Give to Support Tree 种植

Your action today helps shape the
future of our world.

现在捐赠

Related Content

Helping your trees beat the heat

In the summertime, trees have strategies for managing the heat. But with temps on the rise, you can get involved to keep your trees healthy all season long.

What can you do to ensure your trees stay healthy all summer long?

What could be more neighborly than sharing mangoes?

在夏威夷, food insecurity is a complex issue — one that impacts nearly half of all households on the islands. Read how fruit trees can play a role in taking on aspects of this issue in both practical and social ways.

Learn how fruit trees can take on food insecurity in more ways than one.