Pennsylvania Horticultural Society plants 600 trees across the area with help from 'Tree Tenders'

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society provided over 600 trees for volunteers to plant this weekend.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 10:56pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic tree repeated in a tight grid pattern, utilizing flat, vibrant, and unnatural neon color palettes overlapping with heavy black photographic outlines to turn the everyday tree into modern pop art.A community-driven effort to expand urban tree canopy brings vibrant, pop art-inspired visuals to a neighborhood tree-planting initiative.Philadelphia Today

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society provided over 600 trees for volunteers to plant this weekend, with the goal of creating a larger 'canopy' in the area to provide shade, cool neighborhoods, and support local wildlife. The volunteers who helped with the effort are known as 'Tree Tenders' and are trained and educated to support the environment.

Why it matters

Increasing the tree canopy in urban areas can provide significant environmental and community benefits, such as lowering temperatures, reducing violence, and attracting more wildlife. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's tree-planting initiative aims to address equity gaps in tree coverage across different neighborhoods.

The details

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society provided over 600 trees for volunteers to plant this weekend. One of their goals is to create a larger 'canopy' in the area, which refers to the amount of shade that trees provide on the ground. This can lead to long-term benefits like cooling neighborhoods, lowering violence, and bringing in local wildlife. The volunteers who supported the effort are called 'Tree Tenders' and are trained and educated to support the environment. One of the Tree Tender groups is known as the 'Philly Tree People'.

  • The tree-planting event took place this past weekend.

The players

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

A nonprofit organization that promotes horticulture and environmental stewardship in Pennsylvania.

Asha-Le Davis

Education & Outreach Manager at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Philly Tree People

A volunteer group that supports the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's tree-planting efforts.

Jacelyn Bank

Vice President of the Philly Tree People.

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What they’re saying

“Canopy is the amount of shade that a tree gives on the ground when the sun is highest in the sky. With that, we're closing that equity gap on the map where maybe there aren't as many trees in one area, and that just leads to long term...benefits like cooling neighborhoods, lowering violence, bringing local wildlife.”

— Asha-Le Davis, Education & Outreach Manager, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

“It's an honor to walk or drive around my neighborhood and see all these trees that I know that I helped get in the ground and care for.”

— Jacelyn Bank, Vice President, Philly Tree People

The takeaway

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's tree-planting initiative, supported by dedicated volunteer 'Tree Tenders', is a community-driven effort to increase urban tree canopy and address environmental inequities. By expanding green spaces and natural habitats, this project aims to provide long-term benefits for local neighborhoods, including cooler temperatures, reduced violence, and greater biodiversity.