Plantlanta Returns

By Carlen Ruth Hultgren

Trees Atlanta will conduct its annual Plantlanta event November 6-8 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). This change in format from a single Saturday will allow for proper COVID-19 safety protocol and social distancing norms. This year’s project sites and volunteer opportunities will be spread out over the course of three days, volunteer group sizes will be smaller, and each shift will be limited in size. Registration is mandatory prior to each event day and all participants will be required to follow safety guidelines. The project in City Council District 5, which includes East Atlanta Village, is scheduled for Friday, November 6.

To participate as a volunteer, you must register in advance for one of the following shifts.

• Shift 1 (8:30am – 10:30am): Fill and deliver mulch buckets to tree planting locations, place trees, and possibly help water.
• Shift 2 (9:00am – 12:00pm): Dig holes, loosen root balls, fill the holes back in, and mulch and water.
• Shift 3 (9:30am – 12:30pm): Dig holes, loosen root balls, fill the holes back in, and mulch and water.

First conceived in 2016, Plantlanta is a scaled-up version of the weekly community forestry projects held throughout the city. Instead of planting in one or two neighborhoods, as done on any given Saturday, Plantlanta is the most ambitious planting project to occur simultaneously across the city. Trees Atlanta staff, volunteers, and Atlanta City Council representatives will join with neighbors to plant trees in all 12 city council districts.

During Plantlanta, hundreds of volunteers spend their time planting, mulching, and watering new trees to increase the canopy in Atlanta neighborhoods. Of the many tree planting projects hosted by Trees Atlanta each year, Plantlanta is by far the largest. Over the course of the entire event, hundreds of trees will be planted across the city.

For more information and to register, go to www.treesatlanta.org/plantlanta; if you have any questions, please contact Jacob Kennedy at jkennedy@treesatlanta.org.