School Trees
We plant trees on public, public charter, and private school campuses across the greater Davidson County area.
Organizing a school tree planting for your school can be an exciting opportunity to foster community cohesion and co-create a memorable space that is more inviting to students, parents, faculty, and the surrounding community.
Planting trees on school grounds is an investment in students, as research suggests students with exposure to trees have improved concentration, reduced mental fatigue, and enhanced cognitive function which can lead to better academic performance. The Nashville Tree Foundation has an explicit goal of planting trees where there are the fewest, and will prioritize requests from low canopy areas.
What to know before applying:
- Timing for school plantings will depend on site and funding availability; applicants who apply early in the year will have a better chance of trees being planted as Nashville Tree Foundation staff work to secure funding from diverse funding streams.
- Successful completion applicants work with a certified arborist to co-select tree species and planting locations and develop a two-year post-planting maintenance schedule. This includes watering by Nashville Tree Foundation for up to two years.
- The Nashville Tree Foundation works to streamline this process and keep the program adaptable. Programming can be customized to fit the capacity of school administrators and curriculums. Nashville Tree Foundation works to rally volunteers and provide all of the logistics needed to support having every tree installed on-site.
Before submitting an application, be sure you can:
- Obtain approval from the school principal or facilities department
- Meet with Nashville Tree Foundation’s staff to review project requirements and logistics.
- Commit to a 2-year post-planting maintenance plan.
