The Social Marketing Plan from TreeBaltimore, Tree Up, is a new way to reach non-traditional audiences in the Baltimore community with our tree planting message. Tree Ups are themed social events organized all over Baltimore where participants can have some fun and give back to the city by planting a tree. Tree Ups are for people who want to celebrate, commemorate, or advocate. The first “Tree Up” is kicking off on June 21 in partnership with the national Go Skateboarding Day. Join us in Roosevelt Park, 1221 West 36th St., Baltimore, MD 21211 to plant trees, eat ice cream, and skateboard.

This is just one of many events being held this year by the TreeBaltimore partnership to reach non-traditional audiences in the Baltimore community with our tree planting message. Over the past 6 years the partnership has successfully worked to increase the tree canopy of Baltimore City towards their goal of 40% coverage by the year 2037. During this time we have become proficient in organizing large scale tree plantings for volunteers at parks and schools, but not as successful at reaching City residents to plant trees at their homes. This social marketing program is targeting these non-traditional residents with the end goal of having them plant trees on their own property.

Who knew that there are over 30,000 skateboarders in Baltimore? Targeted local residents will be receiving facebook, twitter, and other electronic media announcements about this event and the other “Tree Up” scheduled events. Once they attend one of these events residents will have the opportunity to plant a tree and take a free tree home to plant. Locate our other Tree Up events: Summer Water Brigades, Baltimore BookFest, Ravens Tailgate, and Day of the Dead at the TreeBaltimore website (www.treebaltimore.org).

The TreeBaltimore partnership is the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Blue Water Baltimore, Baltimore City Parks and Recreation Department – Forestry Division, and the Parks & People Foundation.

In December 2003, the Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council signed a directive that “recognizes that urban tree canopy cover offers stormwater control and water quality benefits for municipalities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and can extend many riparian (streamside) forest buffer functions to urban settings.” It called on states to work with local municipalities to set tree canopy goals in its most urban jurisdictions and to implement these goals. The thinking that went into that decision is reflected in American Forests’ “Regional Ecosystem Analysis: Chesapeake Bay Region and the Baltimore-Washington Corridor” report. It states that trees reduce the need for stormwater retention facilities by 540 million cubic feet and save the region $1.08 billion dollars in construction costs. The existing tree canopy also helps air quality in the region by removing 34 million pounds of pollutants, valued at $88 million. Increased tree cover will reduce summer heat island effects and these added trees will also help moderate cold spells in the winter by filtering wind. This leads to greater energy conservation, especially during peak summer and winter energy use periods. As the tree canopy grows, demand for tree maintenance will create additional green jobs in communities in need of employment.