Press Release
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(603) 271-3136 | shelly.angers@dncr.nh.gov
Popular schoolyard tree canopy program hopes to branch out in 2025
New Hampshire schools that would like to add trees to their campuses are encouraged to apply to participate in the 2025 Schoolyard Canopy Enhancement Program, which is managed by the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands’ Urban and Community Forestry Program.
“When we started this program in 2023, our hope was not only to provide trees to schools that needed them, but also to get students thinking about how trees benefit their lives every day,” said A.J. Dupere, urban forester at the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands. “What we’ve experienced far exceeded our goals, with students really taking ownership of the process and saying how they look forward to visiting ‘their trees’ in years to come.”
To be considered for the program, schools must complete a one-page application that focuses on student engagement. Questions include asking who will participate in the trees’ planting (students, staff, administration, etc.), what grade levels will be involved and who will take care of the trees after they are planted.
Schools selected for the program receive between two and six trees, based on the number of students who will participate in the planting, available space at their school and the number of schools enrolled.
In 2024, 43 trees were planted at 18 schools across the state. Species ranged from well-known varieties of maple, oak and crabapple to more unique species like Dawn redwood, a deciduous conifer.
The 2025 application deadline is March 7. All plantings must take place prior to mid-June so that students can be involved in the process and develop a relationship with their trees. Staff from the Urban Forestry Center will be on hand to assist with the planting and tools can be provided that day.
The Urban and Community Forestry Program has scheduled two online information sessions for school representatives who wish to learn more about the program: Jan. 22 from 6-7 p.m. and Feb. 13 from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
There is no cost to participate in New Hampshire’s Schoolyard Canopy Enhancement Program. For more information, contact Liz McKinley, community forester, elizabeth.c.mckinley@dncr.nh.gov.
New Hampshire’s Urban and Community Forestry Program runs the Schoolyard Canopy Enhancement Program in partnership with UNH Cooperative Extension. Funding is provided by the USDA Forest Service.
New Hampshire's Division of Forests and Lands is part of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. NHDFL’s mission is to protect and promote the values provided by trees, forests and natural communities. This mission is accomplished through responsible management of the state’s forested resources; by providing forest resource information and education to the public; and through the protection of these resources for the continuing benefit of the state’s citizens, visitors and forest industry. Learn more at nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov.
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