Chestnut Hill Tree Tenders, a community volunteer group supported by the CHCA and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), plants free street trees in the community twice a year. Over the last ten years, the group has planted more than 200 trees in our community! While we have the privilege of living in an abundantly green neighborhood, many of our trees are older, have been removed for development or been damaged by storms. Replacements are needed to assure the legacy of our green town continues.
Bareroot trees supplied by PHS are available in April and November to plant at residential, business, school, church or other institutional properties in the community. If your application is accepted by PHS and the City (which must approve the location to assure that utility and other potential underground easements will not be impacted), you will be asked to provide the local planting volunteers access to water and mulch on the day of the planting. The Tree Tender volunteers will deliver and plant the trees. The property owner is responsible for watering the tree, particularly during the first year, and will receive instructions about that and other care information.
PHS has a website for anyone interested in applying for a tree or volunteering. See https://phsonline.org/programs/tree-programs/get-involved.
In 2025, the plantings will be on April 12th and November 15th. Applications for the November planting may be made now until May 5th. You can apply online at https://phsonline.org/programs/tree-programs/get-a-tree or obtain a paper pdf application from the Tree Tender Committee.
If you are interested in volunteering to serve on the Tree Tender Committee, plant trees on April 12th or apply for one or more trees to be planted at the November planting, please contact either of the Chestnut Hill Tree Tenders Co-Chairs:
James McNabb (973-229-6034 james@mcnabbstudios.com)
Jean Hemphill (215-485-7403 hemphill@ballardspahr.com)
