2025 Tree Ambassador Course

Zoom Sessions: March 11th, 12th, and 13th from 7:00-8:30pm

In-Person Tree Planting Session: Date: TBD. Session will be held on a Saturday morning from 9:00am-12:00pm. Location: TBD, likely in Glen Burnie, MD

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Tree Ambassador, please Fill Out Our Interest Form Linked Below.

Si usted o alguien que conoce está interesado en convertirse en un Embajador de Árboles, complete nuestro formulario de interés vinculado a continuación.

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 to support Tree Ambassadors as they plan and implement their tree projects throughout the year.

The Tree Ambassador program is directly in line with WSA’s DEIJ Strategic Plan, specifically the Restoration goal of creating an urban tree planting program. To learn more about DEIJ and how WSA is incorporating it across all of its programs, click here.

Based on the Tree Trooper model, the Tree Ambassador program follows a similar approach to community-based tree planting projects. Tree Ambassadors are trained on the basics of tree biology, site assessment, and project implementation. After the training, Ambassadors are tasked with recruiting “tree hosts” who will receive trees on their properties. 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.

Program participants and planting locations are identified through the use of DNR’s Underserved Areas map, which can be accessed here. In 2022, the first cohort of the program completed projects in Brooklyn Park and the City of Annapolis, totaling 38 trees.

In Spring 2024, we trained our second cohort of 14 Tree Ambassadors. During our in-person training session, we added to the existing tree project at the Brooklyn Park Library, planting 10 more trees. We also supplied our new Tree Ambassadors with tree guides, planting manuals, program fliers, and clipboards; materials to help them engage their communities and spread the word about trees! 

In Fall 2024, our second cohort planted a total of 45 trees at 12 different locations including private residences and congregations. Next, we are excited to be training our third cohort in March of 2025, and continuing to support our existing Tree Ambassadors with their upcoming projects!

Program PArtners

Program Funders