Urban and Community Forestry Events

Arizona Arbor Day

This event is held annually to celebrate trees and the multitude of benefits they provide. It includes a reading of the Arizona Arbor Day proclamation, an awards ceremony for Tree City, Tree Campus, and Tree Line USA, Citizen Forester of the Year, Magnificent 7 Trees, and a commemorative tree planting. Arbor Day traditionally occurs on the last Friday of April. 

Tour des Trees

Tour des Trees is a FREE (self‐guided) Bike, Walk, or Drive friendly event that weaves throughout an annually selected community in Arizona and highlights magnificent trees of various species. Professional Arborists are located at each tree to discuss different tree topics such as, Tree Selection, Proper Tree Planting, Right Tree – Right Place, Proper Watering, Proper Pruning, and the Benefits of Trees.  

Tour des Trees - Fact Sheets

• American Elm
• Arizona Sycamore
• Desert Fern
• Montezuma Cypress
• Weeping Bottlebrush
• Sweet Acacia

Poster Contest  

Each year around Arbor Day, we invite Arizona youth in grades K-12 to participate in our poster contest. This contest is intended to increase the awareness of trees through themes such as “The Benefits of Trees”, and “Care For Trees – Trees Care For You”.  The 2018 Theme was "Trees for the Future".

2018 Winners 

K-2nd Grade

1st place - Constance McDermott, Franklin East, Mesa Public Schools

2nd place - Dev Darshan Rajesh, Montessori Day School, Phoenix 

3rd place - Lesly Arellano, Westwood Primary, Phoenix 

3rd-5th Grade

1st place - Sofia Jourdan, Kyrene Monte Vista, Phoenix

2nd place - Eliot Bowen, Kyrene Monte Vista, Phoenix 

3rd place - Matthew Law, Homeschool 

6th-8th Grade

1st place - O Sha Naing, Palo Verde Middle School, Phoenix 

2nd place - Mallory Koch, Sonoran Trails Middle School, Phoenix

3rd place - Maya Camas, Desert Sun Academy, Scottsdale 

9th-12th Grade 

1st place - Caleb Crabtree, Barry Goldwater High School, Phoenix 

2nd place - Alissa Holmes, Dysart High School, El Mirage

3rd place - Humberto Hernandez, Estrella Foothills High School, Goodyear 

Grantee Showcase  

The Showcase is an annual opportunity for our Community Challenge Grant recipients to present their Urban and Community Forestry projects, discuss their accomplishments, and network with program partners and collaborators. Presentations in the past have included, Urban Tree Maintenance Education, Linking Edible Arizona Forests (LEAF) Network, Irrigation Requirements of Landscape Trees, Urban Riparian Forests, and Creating Community-based Green Infrastructure.