Central Arkansas Tree Planting Project

We have a big goal of planting 166,000 native tree over the next three years in Central Arkansas. But to do this, we need your help.

We're giving away away free trees in our six-county project area that includes Pulaski, Saline, Perry, Grant, Faulkner and Lonoke counties.

This project is funded by an EPA grant awarded to Metroplan and subcontracted with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.

The Cooperative Extension Service will procure, manage and distribute the trees.

Who can get free trees?

Individuals and groups in the six-county project area (Pulaski, Saline, Perry, Grant, Faulkner and Lonoke counties) can request trees. Eligible recipients include individuals, farms, government agencies, municipalities, nonprofits, schools, religious organizations, business and more.

Recipients must record an accurate location where the trees are planted. Recipients also must agree to try to encourage survival of the trees. Photos of planted trees may be requested at a later date as part of a Metroplan quality assurance program.

How does ordering and distribution work?

Use the online request form below to order trees. You will pick up your trees at local distribution events that will be announced.

Large orders can be entered into the request form or coordinated with extension project staff directly by emailing treeplantingproject@uada.edu

Orders can be delivered as long as they are received and planted within a timely manner after delivery.

For school districts that request trees, we need to know schools where trees will be planted so that we can record the numbers and varieties per location in our database.

Request Trees

What type of trees are available?

More than two dozen varieties are available through the Central Arkansas Tree Planting Project.

These include: Bald Cypress, Beautyberry, Bur Oak, Buttonbush, Common Witch-Hazel, Deciduous Holly, Flowering Dogwood, Gray Dogwood, Hackberry, Native Pecan, Ohio Buckeye, Persimmon, Pin Oak, Redbud, Red Maple, Red Oak, River Birch, Sandbar Willow, Short Leaf Pine, Swamp White Oak, Sweetgum, Sweet Magnolia, Sycamore, Sugar Maple, White Oak and Wild Plum.

You can find detailed information about tree species using the Arkansas Tree Database:

Arkansas Tree Database

Most of the trees are bare-root trees. They need to be planted when they are totally dormant since there is nothing inside the plastic sleeve to sustain plant growth.

For guidance on planting, view our tutorial on how How to Plant Bare Root Trees - YouTube

Volunteers Opportunities

In late spring/early summer, we may have a large stock of unplanted bare-root trees that will need to be planted into pots. We welcome volunteers. This is also a good opportunity for students who need volunteer hours. They'll work alongside Extension staff, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists and other experts and learn about tree planting, care, varieties, and how to set up irrigation lines.

To volunteer, email treeplantingproject@uada.edu.

Educational Support and Options

We welcome the opportunity to provide one-on-one assistance to schools and other groups. We provide:

In person demonstrations — We can host demonstrations paired with a tree planting day.
Train the trainer – We can train teachers on planting, supply learning materials, and possibly work together on a lesson plan so schools can host their own planting days on their schedule. We can provide virtual training opportunities too.
Educational factsheets — We provide factsheets on how to plant and care for trees.

Future Plans

This is a three-year project with the goal of planting 166,000 trees by the end of 2029 and sequestering carbon through tree growth that will last until 2050. We currently have about 15 partners and will working to partner with other groups. We plan to work with our partners for the next three years to help fulfill their needs as we work toward our goal. If specific trees are requests, we will work with those partners to supply them for the upcoming season as well working toward planning event and field days.

Benefits of Planting Trees

In addition to providing shade on a hot summer day, trees also help do the following:

Clean Air — Leaves on trees absorb carbon dioxide and filter pollutants from the air. They also catch airborne dust and dirt and give off oxygen.
Reduce Noise Pollution — Trees absorb sound and create a buffer between you and a busy street.
Sequester carbon dioxide while also improving watershed health, community beautification and wildlife habitat.
Control Erosion — The canopy of the tree shelters soil moisture and helps in erosion, but so do the roots. Trees planted along a riverbank can slow the water and reduce flooding. If you live in an area with high winds, a diverse planting of trees can act as a windbreak if properly planted.

Contact Us

For more information, email treeplantingproject@uada.edu

John Pennington: 870-329-7009
Eric Simon: 501-563-7708