Come get your hands dirty and join in on the reforestation effort for Pennsylvania’s streams! We have nearly 96,000 trees to plant – all we need is you! Tree plantings are a great chance to get outside with fellow volunteers and knowledgeable Alliance team members for a memorable day of making a difference. This spring you can also be a part of something even bigger – our 24-hour tree planting relay (Treelay) is back!

From the fast growing Tulip Poplar and American Sycamore giants to the humble Redbud and Spicebush, and edible favorites like Pawpaw and Persimmon, the Alliance plants 30+ native species every season.

Check out our opportunities to help your community below:

Treelay Events

Starting at 5pm on Friday, April 5th and running for 24 hours until 5pm on Saturday, April 6th, the Treelay is a marathon of planting where we will reforest 15 acres and install nearly 4,500 trees into riparian forest buffers across the watershed. Join us for the sunset, the middle of the night under the stars, a beautiful sunrise, a fresh morning, or an exciting afternoon!

Left: Volunteers get a crash course in tree planting before beginning a morning Treelay shift. Right: The Alliance’s official “buffer beagle,” Newt, taking a break between checking on volunteers.

Site 1: Upper Oxford Township Arboretum, PA
Time: April 5th 5:00 PM– 9:00 PM
Trees to Plant: 600
Volunteers Needed: 125

Site 2: Elizabethtown, PA
Time: April 5 at 9:00 PM- Midnight
Trees to Plant: 300
Volunteers Needed:30

Site 3: Lititz, PA
Time: April 6th at Midnight- 2:00 AM
Trees to Plant: 220
Volunteers Needed: 30

Site 4: Abbotstown Park, PA
Time: April 6th 2:00 AM- 6:00 AM
Trees to Plant: 682
Volunteers Needed: 75

Site 5: Wakefield Valley Park, MD
Time: April 6th 6:00 AM- 9:00 AM
Trees to Plant: 400
Volunteers Needed: 50

Site 6: Millersville, PA
Time: April 6th 9:00 AM- Noon
Trees to Plant: 740
Volunteers Needed: 50

Site 7: Big Elk Creek State Park, PA
Time: April 6th Noon- 5:00 PM
Trees to Plant: 1500!!
Volunteers Needed: 150

Regular Planting Events

Two volunteers plant a tree seedling in a retired corn field in Leola, Pennsylvania.

Gettysburg
Date: Friday, March 29th at 10 AM
Trees to Plant: 250
Volunteers Needed: 30

Glen Rock
Date: Saturday, April 13th at 10 AM
Trees to plant: 212
Volunteers Needed: 30

Mechanicsburg
Date: Tuesday, April 16th at 10 AM
Trees to plant: 178
Volunteers Needed: 15

Mount Joy
Date: Thursday, April 18th at 10 AM
Trees to plant: 160
Volunteers Needed: 15

Oxford
Date: Saturday, April 20th at 10 AM
Trees to plant: 800
Volunteers Needed: 125

Chambersburg
Date: Wednesday, April 24th at 10 AM
Trees to plant: 725
Volunteers Needed: 50

Christiana
Date: Saturday, April 27th at 10 AM
Trees to plant: 800
Volunteers Needed: 50

Tree planting event FAQs

Do I need to bring shovels?
Nope! We recommend bringing a pair of work gloves if you have them, but otherwise the Alliance provides all the materials needed to plant trees. We also have a short tutorial at the beginning of the event to introduce folks to our unique system of planting.

Are tree plantings kid friendly?
Yes! The only requirement for kids to attend is that their guardian also be onsite as a registered volunteer and participate in the planting to supervise the children. There are lots of ways kids can help out as we work, and we find they always provide a boost of enthusiasm.

Are there bathrooms?
For the Treelay sites yes, but for all others no. But plantings are usually scheduled to last for only two to three hours.

What’s the address?
We hold the majority of our plantings on private property, so in order to be discreet with a landowner’s information, we send out the event address in the confirmation email when you register for a planting.

What kind of trees are being planted?
We plant 20-30 species of trees and shrubs that are native to the south-central Pennsylvania region. Each site is different. You can learn all about them when you are there!

Why are we planting trees again?
Because they’re awesome! Trees help stabilize soils in riparian areas, reduce runoff and decrease the amount of pollution that ends up in our Bay. Check out our PA Riparian Forest Buffer Project to learn more about the science and motivations behind why we do what we do.

I can’t make any of the plantings but I love trees, is there another way to get involved?
Yes! Consider joining our Riparian Ranger program, where you can ‘adopt’ one of these buffers and take care of the newly planted trees on a schedule that you set.

If you have any more questions, please contact Cathleen Anthony at canthony@allianceforthebay.org. We hope to see you out there this spring!