Trees for Oakland

Join our friends at the LMC for Conservancy Stewardship Day - caring for Lake Merritt's oak trees!

This is a hand-on community stewardship event dedicated to supporting the health of Lake Merritt's beloved Coast Live Oaks and Cork Oaks. Volunteers will help apply sheet mulching, a sustainable soil-building practice that improves moisture retention, enriches soil structure and promotes long-term tree vitality.

Wear comfortable outdoor clothing and closed-toe shoes. Gardening gloves will be provided but feel free to bring your own.

Community members of all ages are welcome! Please RSVP to Programs@lakemc.org by November 27 so we can plan materials and refreshments

Do you want to help grow the urban forest canopy in Oakland? Trees for Oakland is distributing free seeds for California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) to grow saplings for future frontyard & backyard trees in your neighborhood. Come learn how to grow saplings in your home to share with your communities.

Looking for a small but impactful way to help in the fight against climate change, and green your community over a weekend? Volunteer to plant trees! Our Tree Team plants trees in sidewalks all around Oakland. As these trees grow, they help to improve air quality, sequester carbon, and improve the environmental conditions of our neighborhoods. Many of the beautiful large trees you see along sidewalks are a result of our volunteers, and we still have so much more to do. No experience is required, but volunteers should be ready to do some digging and get a bit dirty.
What: Planting trees along sidewalks and streets in Oakland for homeowners. After the training, we will split into smaller groups and drive to the sites.
Who: You! Bring your friends and/or make new ones. No experience is needed. You should be able to lift 30 pounds (half the weight of a new tree).
What to Bring: Wear closed-toed shoes, clothes that you can get dirty, and a hat for sun protection; bring your own water, lunch and a snack. We'll provide the shovels, picks, brooms, and gloves, but if you have your own please bring them along as we are short on supplies these days.
If you are bringing a minor, please let us know.
How: Dig a hole, take the tree out of its pot and put it into the ground, backfill the soil around the roots, and sweep the sidewalk clean. (Don't worry; we'll teach you whatever you don't know -- or take a peek at the guide here: http://www.treesforoaklandflatlands.org/plant-a-tree.html)
Where: Meet at our staging area (2475 Mavis St. Oakland 94601).
The trees will be in other places around town, so please be on time so we can meet before we disperse.
We can plant in light rain, but if we decide to cancel because of heavier rain, we'll announce it here by 8am.
For more information or to join our email list, contact us at treesforoakland.org
Note: There is no bathroom on-site so make sure to go before you arrive!
If you are lost or running late, call or text Bart at 510 917 4352