According to Louisville Grows, a 45% urban tree canopy — or the part of a city that is shaded by trees — is recommended. However, the average canopy in some Derby City neighborhoods is only 15-22% — and our city is losing ~54,000 trees every year.

Thankfully, Louisville Grows and Trees Louisville are focused on growing a greener LOU + you can help, too.

🌳 Louisville Grows
This group features a neighborhood-based urban forestry program that focuses on 21 areas in west and south Louisville. Its goal is to rebuild our urban tree canopy by planting 1,000 trees every year.

How to get involved:

Join the Citizen Forester Program. You’ll help educate the public + advocate for and inspect trees during the summer.
Sign up for neighborhood plantings, which are held from November through April. Check the event calendar for upcoming dates.
Canvas with staff members as they connect with residents to find “treecipients.” These LOU residents will care for newly planted trees.
Help grow plants at the greenhouse.

A group of friends plant trees with Louisville Grows. | Photo by LOUtoday

🌳 Trees Louisville
This organization is solely committed to the preservation and expansion of our city’s tree canopy. It supports and partners with like-minded organizations like Olmstead Parks Conservancy and Louisville Parks & Recreation. Its overarching goal is to reach the recommended tree canopy coverage of 45%.

How to get involved:

Become a Canopy Corps Volunteer to assist with planting, pruning, watering, and mulching projects.
Engage with the community through outreach events as a Special Events & Educational Volunteer.
Put your love of horticulture into words by writing op-ed or educational pieces for the organization’s blog.
Mark your calendar for Tree Week, which will be held Saturday, October 7-Saturday, October 17. The annual event features tree-centric events throughout Jefferson County, like tree planting activities, nature walks, book clubs, and more.