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

Arbor Day Poster Contest  

Each year around Arbor Day, we invite Arizona youth in grades K-12 to participate in our poster contest to highlight the amazing role that trees play in our lives and our communities. We are excited to invite Arizona youth to participate in our 2025 Arbor Day Poster Contest. The theme is "Trees Remind Me.." This year's contest aims to inspire our youth to think about what we learn from trees, and how they impact our daily lives, thoughts, and actions. The department invites students to share their tree stories in a creative way, with a hint of friendly competition. 

For more information check out the 2025 Poster Contest Flyer and Submission Guidelines. The theme is different every year and announced in January. If you are an interested educator or parent, please reach out to [email protected] to be added to our mailing list. 

Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1872 and it is estimated that more than one million trees were planted that day. What do you think those trees have accomplished, what have they learned, and what will they wish for this year? Trees are wise members of our communities and we want to highlight this milestone date with your unique and beautiful artwork!   

2024 Winners 

View all of the 2024 Winners! 

K-2nd Grade

1st place - Myriam Shafaat - ASU Prep Digital Academy, Tempe

2nd place - Lena Laghari - BASIS Tucson Primary, Tucson 

3rd place -Ben Paulson - Higland Lakes School, Glendale

3rd-5th Grade

1st place - Brielle Machado - Gallego Intermediate Fine Arts Magnet School, Tucson 

2nd place - Luisana Perez - BASIS Tucson Primary - Tucson 

3rd place - Kirsten Emma Kaskela - Verrado Elementary School, Litchfield Park 

6th-8th Grade

1st place - Jonathan Apodaca - Centennial Middle School, Yuma

2nd place - Carmel Amber Hermosilla - Page Middle School, Page 

3rd place - Loredana Bordai - West Point Art Academy, Surprise 

9th-12th Grade 

1st place - Rory Callaghan - PPEP Raul Castro Learning Cente, Douglas

2nd place - Arianna Kim Khorasan - Chaparral High School, Scottsdale

3rd place - Yadira Godinez - Kofa High School, Yuma

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.