Spreading the Word About Tree City USA

Ben & Annie’s Trees for Tomorrow was founded due to the desire to promote sustainable development throughout our communities and encourage others to do the same. This message has been the foundation for countless other organizations before us and will continue to be the driving force for organizations after us. We are continuously inspired by those around us who have chosen to work each day toward bettering the planet—and one such organization is the Arbor Day Foundation. 

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Since 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has been planting trees in countries all across the globe in order to slow the threat of climate change and help create a better future for all of us. After 50 years of working with different individuals and organizations, they have managed to plant almost 500 million trees around the world. 

About Tree City USA

Four years after the Arbor Day Foundation came to be established, their team partnered with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters to create the Tree City USA program—making it one of the Arbor Day Foundations oldest programs. The goal of Tree City USA is to encourage cities across the country to make the pledge and dedicate funds in order to have more trees planted throughout our urban communities—an act that brings about additional personal value apart from the environmental benefits. The criteria to be recognized annually as a Tree City USA community are:

• Having a tree board department.
• Having a community tree ordinance.
• Spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry.
• Celebrating Arbor Day.

In 2020 alone, there were 3,676 communities recognized by Tree City USA and their combined efforts almost surpassed having 750,000 trees planted across the country. 

Taking part in the initiative 

For the last six years, the city of San Antonio has been a part of Tree City USA. It is encouraging for organizations such as ours to know that our entire community is looking toward bettering the future for our neighborhoods, our planet and for our loved ones. As a Tree City USA community, we know that our city’s leaders and community members are constantly working toward bettering our neighborhood, educating those in and around the community about the importance of planting trees in our urban cities and creating a simply beautiful natural landscape for our state.  

At Ben & Annie’s Trees for Tomorrow, we know that there is still more work to be done, but we also know that we are not alone in our endeavors. It takes quite a bit more than a village, but having organizations such as the Arbor Day Foundation and programs such as Tree City USA are constantly leading us toward a better future—just as our own team strives to do each and every day. If you’re able to make a donation toward our cause or want to know more about becoming our partner, fill out our online form today for more information.