Join Portland Parks & Recreation at a Family-Friendly Tree Planting Kickoff Event and Arbor Day Celebration

(Portland, OR) – Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) invites neighbors to celebrate Portland Arbor Day 2021 with a FREE community celebration at Lents Park. PP&R’s Urban Forestry division will kick off the fall planting season with a family-friendly gathering to plant trees, meet neighbors, and learn more about the importance of caring for Portland’s trees for their services and benefits, including their ability to help mitigate the effects of climate change. This kickoff event will begin the process of planting dozens of trees at Lents park and hundreds of trees planted in the Lents neighborhood.

portland arbor day full Three children meeting a tree mascot a previous Portland Arbor Day celebration (Photo/Portland Parks and Recreation)
“Portland’s trees provide shade, wildlife habitat, beauty, cleaner air, and are part of the very fabric of our city,” says Portland Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio. “I appreciate Portland Parks & Recreation's efforts to mitigate climate change locally by proactively planting trees in areas of town which currently are deficient in tree canopy. This work can reduce dangerous heat in neighborhoods when Portland experiences extreme heat due to climate change.”

WHAT: Portland Arbor Day 2021, a free community tree celebration

portland arbor day children tree (Photo/Portland Parks & Recreation)WHERE: Lents Park, SE 92nd Avenue and SE Holgate Street, Portland (event is at the central southeast side of the park; please check in at the tent upon arrival)

Parking is available just north of the event location off of SE 92nd AveAccessible via TriMet bus lines 10, 14, 17, and the MAX Green Line.

WHEN: Saturday, October 30, 2021, 10am-1pm

MORE EVENT INFO: portland.gov/trees/events/2021/10/30/portland-arbor-day-2021

State Representative Khanh Pham will join Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio, Portland Parks & Recreation Director Adena Long, and City Forester Jenn Cairo at Portland Arbor Day 2021 this Saturday. She represents House District 46, which covers parts of Southeast and Northeast Portland including the Jade District, Montavilla, Mt. Tabor, Foster-Powell, Lents, and Laurelhurst.

Join us for a family-friendly tree planting event, plus arts and crafts, educational activities to teach kids the value of trees, and information on and registration for PP&R Recreation division classes and offerings. Community partners will host tables and Portland Park Rangers will be on hand to greet neighbors and share Leave No Trace principles.

Enjoy fun activities for all ages
Celebrate Portland’s urban forest
Learn why trees are so important to people, wildlife, and the environment
Sign up for free yard trees (supplies are limited)
Learn about tree species found in Portland
Help plant new trees

Join your neighbors to plant trees and make Portland a healthier and greener place!

Tree planting season!

Three years ago, Portland moved its annual Arbor Day celebration to the fall because our dry, hot summers have made it more difficult for trees planted in April to thrive. The major, deadly heat events we experienced this summer were much worse for those who live in areas with fewer trees and less tree canopy cover.

Back in 2016, the Urban Forestry team began putting a plan together to concentrate tree plantings in neighborhoods lacking trees and the cooling and many other benefits they provide. This fall we are in the midst of giving away over 1,800 yards trees to Portlanders, and now Portland Parks & Recreation is kicking off the fall tree planting season that will include dozens of trees planted at Lents Park - and hundreds of street trees planted in the Lents neighborhood.

Growing more healthy trees is a critical part of decreasing the impacts of climate change. They help to clean the air and filter stormwater. Trees keep neighborhoods cooler, and are crucial for parks and natural areas. They are key for Portlanders’ mental and physical well-being. Portland Parks & Recreation is explicitly working on planting more trees in the hottest areas of our city – nearly all those locations are east of the Willamette River. Events like Portland Arbor Day are geared towards neighborhoods with the highest temperatures and fewest trees. Portland Parks & Recreation tree planting and enhancement efforts include parks, adjacent to public roads, and on private property.

“Efforts like Portland Arbor Day, the Yard Tree Giveaway events, and street tree planting efforts are beneficial for all of us, and for Portland’s community health,” says Portland Parks & Recreation Director Adena Long. “Enhancing and protecting our urban forest is a key component to the City’s efforts to mitigate climate change. I look forward to a wonderful Portland Arbor Day celebration in the Lents neighborhood.”

Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry

The mission of PP&R’s Urban Forestry (UF) division is to manage and care for Portland's tree infrastructure in the City for current and future generations. Portland’s urban forest consists of 220,000 street trees, 1.2 million park trees, and nearly three million private property trees. The Urban Forestry division is involved in managing or regulating these trees. UF created and implements the City of Portland's Urban Forest Management Plan, fosters community tree awareness and stewardship, develops tree policies and programs, monitors and assesses Portland’s urban forest, and issues permits for planting, pruning, and removal of public and some private trees. During extreme weather at all times of the year, UF crews respond to tree emergencies to keep you safe and the City moving. To learn more about Urban Forestry’s work, check out “Growing a More Equitable Urban Forest”.