Tree Ambassador Program
2026 Tree Ambassador Course- Apply Today!
Virtual Information Session: February 18th, 7-8:00pm
Virtual Class Sessions: March 9th, 11th, 12th, 7-8:30pm
In-Person Session: March 28th, 9am-12pm
Questions? Contact replant@aawsa.org
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Tree Ambassador, please Fill Out Our Interest Form Linked Below. We will send you the Zoom Information for our Upcoming Information Session.
Si usted o alguien que conoce está interesado en convertirse en Embajador de los Árboles, complete el formulario de interés que encontrará en el enlace a continuación. Le enviaremos la información de Zoom para nuestra próxima sesión informativa.
Who are Tree Ambassadors?
Based on the Tree Trooper model, the Tree Ambassador program follows a similar approach to community-based tree planting projects. The Tree Ambassador program seeks to bring free or low-cost trees to underrepresented communities, especially those in urban areas of Northern Anne Arundel County. Community members who live in or have strong connections to communities identified by the Maryland Department of Natural Resource Underserved Areas map are encouraged to apply to the Tree Ambassador program.
Tree Ambassadors are trained on the basics of tree biology, site assessment, and project implementation. The virtual trainings are offered with live Spanish translation services. After the training, Ambassadors are tasked with recruiting “tree hosts” who will receive trees on their properties. Tree Ambassadors then coordinate and implement tree planting projects within their communities, with support from WSA staff. Post-planting, Ambassadors are responsible for coordinating the maintenance of their tree projects, ensuring that the trees grow to their full potential and provide maximum benefit to their respective “tree hosts” and the surrounding community.
Interested in learning more about a recent Tree Ambassador project? See WSA’s blog post about a Tree Ambassador project at Wild Kid Acres here.
About the Program
Planting event in Glen Burnie, March 2025
In 2021, WSA was awarded an Urban Trees Grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to develop a new tree planting program called Tree Ambassadors. This program is focused on planting trees in urban areas with low median household income levels, high unemployment, and neighborhoods with housing projects or that were historically red-lined at any time. With funding from both the Trust and WSA’s RePlant program, this grant award supports stipends for program participants and tree plantings in priority areas within the County and City of Annapolis.
The Tree Ambassador program is WSA’s first course with bilingual translation services. During the virtual training sessions, a live translator is available for Spanish-speaking participants. We also have hired bilingual Course Mentors, previously trained Tree Ambassadors, to support new Tree Ambassadors as they plan and implement their tree projects.
Community impact
Since 2022, WSA has trained 30 Tree Ambassadors across 3 cohorts. Several Tree Ambassadors are also affiliated with community-based organizations such as the Maryland Re-entry Resource Center, the Rev. Samuel Green Sr. Foundation, and the Annapolis Rotaract Club, which work with marginalized or underrepresented populations, including individuals returning from incarceration and low-income families. With the help of our wonderful network of Tree Ambassadors, we have planted over 190 trees across 28 sites, most of which are located in Northern Anne Arundel County. 95 of these trees were installed in areas specifically identified by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Underserved Areas Map.
Planting event in Brooklyn Park, September 2024
Planting event at Brooklyn Park Library, September 2022
Planting event at Brooklyn Park Library, April 2024
Planting event at the Chesapeake Children’s Museum in Annapolis, January 2023
Program PArtners
Anne Arundel County Public Schools provided translation services for the Tree Ambassador training sessions
WSA worked closely with Abel Olivo, the Executive Director of Defensores de la Cuenca, to develop the framework of the Tree Ambassador program
