In Pennsylvania, the Alliance is partnering with Senator Richard Alloway II (R-33) to coordinate several large volunteer tree plantings in Franklin County this October. Please join us at one of our planting sites on October 10th or 17th by signing up to volunteer at Senator Alloway’s registration page. These events will be a great opportunity to get outside, make new friends, and make a real difference in your community.

If you live in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, or York County, and cannot attend a volunteer event, you can still help us reach our goal of planting 10,000 new trees by planting a tree on your own property and reporting it here. Need help getting started with your tree planting? Click here. The benefits of new trees will have an immediate impact on local communities, but the services trees provide also extend far beyond the communities in which they are planted. Reducing erosion and pollutants at their source means that this pollution won’t reach local waterways and flow downstream. Since our local waterways eventually empty into the Chesapeake Bay, these trees will help keep the Bay clean![one_full ] Last spring, nearly 200 volunteers gathered at Wilson College to plant the McKee Green Riparian Buffer in support of the Trees for Tomorrow effort. Photo Credit: Bob StolerOne of many sites where the Alliance is coordinating a volunteer planting event is the Chambersburg Area Middle School South property. In addition to all of the environmental benefits trees can offer, this site is a prime example of how trees can offer utility value as well. The school property is adjacent to the Interstate 81 corridor, and the highway can be extremely loud (and distracting!) during athletic events. To reduce this noise pollution, the Alliance is working with school staff, the Chambersburg Shade Tree Commission, and PA’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to devise a planting plan that will not only make things quieter, but also add the benefits of having an outdoor classroom and a healthy, functional forested area in an area that is currently underutilized turf grass. This planting event of over 500 trees and shrubs will be held on the morning of October 17th. We hope you can join us! The Sweet Gum, Eastern White Pine, and Winterberry Holly are some examples of native plants that will be planted at the Chambersburg Area Middle School South. Photo credit (left to right): Sally Wasowski, Julie Makin, MonticelloFunding for these efforts is generously provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, and the Dominion Foundation.