Gallery • 10 Photos

Alexandra Chan

John Crowell, a CityTrees organizer, explains the soil's texture to his group. The organizers split the volunteers into four groups and walked them to the street where they would be planting their trees. At the tree planting site, the organizers gave ample instruction and information to ensure that the volunteers who had never planted a tree before were supported throughout the process.

CityTrees is a volunteer-run organization that works to create a greener community in Redwood City through tree plantings, pruning, and advocacy. With the help of a local grant from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), they were able to plant 15 trees in three hours.

According to Filip Crnogorac, the president of CityTrees, the organization mainly targeted high school students in their outreach for this event. “If we involve the younger generation in our work, there’s a possibility that one of them will become interested in pursuing something different from all the tech jobs out here in the Silicon Valley,” Crnogorac said. “We’re planting for the future generations because these trees will survive long after we’re gone.”

Volunteers gained community service hours, learned new skills, and, in lieu of Earth Day, appreciated the planet just a little more.