Throughout the calendar year, we provide education and hands-on learning for all demographics, K-Higher Education. Tree plantings at K-12 schools are a great way to educate your students about trees and empower them to take ownership of their own environment. TreeUtah will bring kid-sized tools, trees, mulch and a curriculum for planting the trees. You can apply for our Tree Planting Grants (below) or if you have a business, you can contact us to sponsor a tree planting at a school of your choosing.

Read about some of these very special tree plantings and experiences we have engaging with our Utah education system communities. 

We spent a beautiful Saturday at the Bonneville Junior High Day of Service with Ivory Homes with so much gratitude to all the amazing volunteers and community who came out to serve and plant trees! Educating our young planters once again. We planted 7 new trees with students at Parkview Elementary. Trees provide shade, healthy air, and important habitats. Awesome work 4th and 5th graders. One of the students said that he used to want to be a baseball or basketball player when he grows up, but now he wants to be a forester! And at Rees Elementary School we planted 10 new Bosnian Pine trees on the school grounds. 

Important native tree plantings are happening this year at Jordan River with fantastic students from Granger High School and Judge Memorial. We planted harvested willow and cottonwoods native to the area to help reforest and restore natural habitat. During these events we also picked up over a dozen large bags of trash, highlighting the beauty of the natural area along the river even more. Students even gave up Spring Break time to serve and plant. 

TreeUtah spent a beautiful day at the Kauri Sue Hamilton School for a fun and educational tree planting. The Kauri Sue Hamilton School is a center-based school for students with significant disabilities. The land was donated by Cletus and Sharon Hamilton in gratitude for the special education services. TreeUtah is happy to be able to help further educate and beautify this space.

For higher education and adults, We teach workshops, guided tree identification nature hikes, and host permaculture workdays at our EcoGarden. Visit our Events page to see what's coming up!

To schedule a school visit or for more information regarding these programs, contact our Education Coordinator at education@treeutah.org or 801-364-2122.

TreeUtah and the Sugar House Park Authority are pleased to present the Commemorative and Memorial Tree Program at Sugar House Park. This program offers people the opportunity to honor friends and loved ones through the planting of a tree in Sugar House Park, adding to the beauty of one of Salt Lake City’s greatest landmarks.

The cost of purchasing and planting a commemorative or memorial tree is $500.00. All gifts are processed through TreeUtah, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Individuals or groups wishing to have a commemorative or memorial tree planted at Sugar House Park should contact TreeUtah’s Executive Director, Amy May, at Director@TreeUtah.org

Purchase a Memorial Tree

Frequently Asked Questions

Please call us at (801)364-2122 for more information or to make payments.

Located along the Jordan River in Rose Park next door to the Day Riverside Library at 1575 West 1000 North, TreeUtah’s EcoGarden is a community resource that demonstrates how we can utilize trees in urban landscapes and gardening, which not only provides food but also benefits our social and natural environments.

Projects for volunteers in the EcoGarden include watering, weeding, mulching, composting, maintaining the guilds, and picking up trash. If you are interested in being part of the EcoGarden community, please contact us.

We also schedule EcoGarden workdays that are open to the public. These opportunities will be posted on our events calendar.

EcoGarden History

The EcoGarden is a permaculture demonstration space, situated on the grounds of the Day-Riverside Library in the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City. It fills the space between the library itself and the Jordan River, providing an inviting link between the building and the riverside trails that connect the surrounding community.

This ever-evolving EcoGarden was first laid out in 2005, under the direction of the late Toby Hemenway, renowned permaculture expert and author, and Vaughn Lovejoy, former TreeUtah director. They first considered putting it at Bend in the River Park along the Provo-Jordan River Parkway Trail, however, the mercury and lead in the land at this location made it too toxic to grow anything edible. After some more searching, they found the plot by the Day-Riverside library and it was perfect. Since then, it has been sustained by dedicated volunteers, neighbors, and TreeUtah staff.

The land the garden sits on was originally an overflow retention basin for the Jordan River, but is now home to 14 guilds (or smaller plant communities), each centered around a fruit or nut tree. Around each tree is a mix of shrubs, flowers, grasses, herbs, and native plants that complement one another through their unique characteristics. Some fix nitrogen in the soil, some attract pollinators, and others discourage pests. The guiding principle of permaculture is to cultivate food, medicine, and other useful plants in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem. Traditional farming techniques prioritize annual plants and require a continual input of nutrients, pesticides, and new plants. Permaculture relies on a thoughtful mix of perennials to create a closed, self-regulating, and sustainable system.

Additionally, the guilds are designed to maximize water retention by slowing evaporation and runoff using dugout swales. Swales are ditches dug along the contour of the land; as water runs downward, it is caught on the formation and moisture is more effectively contained. Many of the plants are also drought-resistant, meaning the garden can survive (and even thrive) with minimal watering and go long periods without any surface water. Further helping us save water is the installed drip system that delivers water directly to the plants' roots.

The EcoGarden also serves as a community gathering space. The area is not fenced off from the neighborhood, making it a publicly-accessible, inviting space with benches, picnic tables, and a shade structure covered with grapevines. We encourage residents of the neighborhood to utilize the space for gatherings, quiet contemplation, and as a source of food.

On occasion, the Day-Riverside Library brings children into the garden for story time and nearby elementary schools bring students for outdoor lunches.

In addition to volunteer workdays, TreeUtah also holds regular workshops on topics ranging from tree pruning, to mason bees, to uses of medicinal herbs. A healthy ecosystem includes the people who live in it - join us in our work in creating sustainable communities.

TreeUtah is committed to restoring and preserving healthy ecosystems along Utah’s urbanized Wasatch Front.

For over 30 years, TreeUtah volunteers have planted thousands of native trees and shrubs along the Jordan River Corridor and in the Wasatch Mountain Canyons. Maintaining the ecological health of waterways and open spaces throughout Utah is critical for ensuring clean water and air for all Utahns and for sustaining habitat for our animal neighbors.

Jordan River Restoration

The Jordan River Parkway Trail is the most popular recreation trail in Salt Lake County. The Jordan River waterway stretches over 50 miles from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. The trail and river are used year-round for various outdoor activities and is visited by over 100,000 people annually.

The Jordan River Corridor (JRC) is also essential for local and migrating wildlife. The creatures who travel along the JRC, including birds and mammals, are an integral part of the beautiful and diverse range of wildlife in Utah. TreeUtah plants native trees at dozens of sites along the Jordan River Corridor. These trees are important in preserving and expanding habitat for the wildlife and will ensure these animals continue to thrive here. These trees also play a part in preventing the spread of invasive species along the JRC, including Russian Olive and Tamarisk.

Wasatch Mountains

The canyons of the Wasatch Mountains include major recreation sites such as Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, City Creek, and Mill Creek. These canyons are also the primary water source for thousands of people in surrounding counties. The mountains are also essential habitat for animals navigating the major urban-wildland interface of Utah's Wasatch Front. The ecosystems in this vital mountain range are under pressure from the expanding population of the Wasatch Front and TreeUtah is partnering with local ski areas to ensure these ecosystems can sustain life for generations to come. By planting thousands of native trees at ski areas like Alta, Snowbird, and Solitude, we are helping to preserve the recreation opportunities, the wildlife habitat, and the pristine water quality of Utah's Wasatch Mountains.

We plant large trees in public spaces throughout Utah, including city parks and school playgrounds. This program works to build public awareness of the value of urban forests and of the needs for maintained, healthy urban forests.

If your community group or business is interested in getting involved, consider sponsoring a group tree planting. Your commitment to sustainability will be recognized and you can leave a lasting impact on your local community.

For areas outside of the urbanized Wasatch Front, we have our Tree Planting Grant Program. This grant provides the opportunity for rural communities to beautify the environment around them.