Our mission is to engage the community to plant and steward native trees to improve the environmental health of the Petaluma watershed, shelter wildlife, enrich our lives, save the planet.
ReLeaf hosts AmeriCorps residency and hits the 2000th tree mark!
We have been blessed with an extraordinary team of volunteer youth that came to Petaluma for 7 weeks to plant trees, under our AmeriCorps grant with partner Rebuilding Together Petaluma (RTP). They have planted about 250 native trees at residences throughout Petaluma, as well as over 100 trees in public spaces. Fifty of the trees were along streets, in the sidewalk strips. And they still found time to help RTP build the enclosure for the Luma Ice Rink, a seasonal outdoor skating rink at the Fairgrounds.
ReLeaf volunteers and staff have worked hard to make their visit a full and rewarding one. Besides a full-time program of planting trees, the team has received “An Introduction to Urban Forestry”. This is an educational program created by ReLeaf with weekly teaching sessions by our expert volunteers. The team attended 3 city meetings as part of their Urban Forest Advocacy unit. Thanks to our sponsors.
ReLeaf Residential Tree Program We Plant. You water.
ReLeaf Petaluma, Cool Petaluma and the City of Petaluma have teamed up to offer free native trees to Petaluma residents. Native trees cool our homes and neighborhoods, while providing habitat for local bees, butterflies and birds. A ReLeaf tree expert will help you choose the best tree species for your location. Trained ReLeaf volunteers will plant the tree(s) and offer care consultations for up to 3 years.
This program is fully booked for now. Join our waitlist here.
ReLeaf ReOaking Program for Petaluma open spaces
We are continuing our pilot program along the East Side Connector Trail and beginning in other open space areas to plant and nurture acorns into trees. Together with our funder and our partners, we will be restoring these spaces to the oak savannah they originally evolved to be. We will also add shade along open space trails. Please enjoy our East Side Connector Trail slide deck, recently presented at a community input meeting, that explains this new project.
Funding for the Residential and ReOaking projects is provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program. USDA, ReLeaf Petaluma, and all of its partners below are equal opportunity providers and employers.
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Heat Island Reduction
ReLeaf is prioritizing sites in Petaluma having poor canopy coverage in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Trees will cool these neighborhoods, mitigate stormwater flooding, improve public health, and add beauty.
Biodiversity for Life
Trees are key species for the web of life. Our Petaluma native trees provide both habitat and food source for birds and insects.
Carbon Sequestration
Native trees and grasses are the best plants to store carbon above and below ground. Tree roots are in the top few feet and spread out as much as three times the dripline. Living roots can store half of the carbon of plants. Roots exude large volumes of carbon to the soil feeding the soil biota which in turn regenerates the soil, and then stores more carbon. Native bunch grasses are long lived and help restore the soil so carbon accumulates continously for many years.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead