Project CommuniTree

Spring 2025 Project CommuniTree applications are now open!

Everyone, regardless of financial status or zip code, deserves to live among trees. Tree canopy provides social, environmental, and economic benefits to communities and should not be reserved only for the privileged few. Project CommuniTree subsidizes the cost of growing potted trees at our tree Nursery and arboretum in St. Louis County’s Creve Coeur Park. The 3-gallon saplings are offered free of charge to public and nonprofit partners who plant and maintain this new community investment. The program distributes over 10,000 trees to more than 250 partners every year and mobilizes more than 3,000 volunteers to participate in the tree planting process. Click here for a list of the 50+trees we grow. Availability varies by year.

 

Steps for applying for free trees

Project CommuniTree Facts:

  • Free, 3-gallon trees and shrubs grown from over 50 species of seedlings provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation
  • Available for public or nonprofit plantings (neighborhood associations, schools, Scouts, churches, cities, municipalities and other community groups) in Missouri and surrounding communities
  • Over 250,000 trees distributed since 1993
  • Some 9-10,000 trees distributed annually
  • Applications accepted once the season is announced, typically in March for spring plantings and in September for fall plantings; this is subject to change based on weather, inventory or Forest ReLeaf’s schedule.

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Jess Underwood
Finance & Operations Director

After 17 years in the non-profit and public sector, Jess remains committed to mission-driven work that tackles the challenges facing our communities. Their career began with a year of service as an Americorps St. Louis Emergency Response team member, responding to natural disasters and performing conservation projects. That foundation of service led to roles supporting the arts, affordable housing, mental health, and grassroots housing advocacy in St. Louis. During this journey Jess has worked to center the value “nothing about us, without us.” They do their best to ensure that the voices of people who have been marginalized guide the strategy and execution of work that honors their lived experiences. When they aren’t working, Jess is out paddling, hiking, working in their garden, or building something.