Cool Green Trees

06/19/2026

Celebrating Juneteenth! ❤️💛💚🖤 Today we honor freedom, reflect on history, and celebrate the resilience of generations who paved the way for progress.

Trees are an important symbol in Black History. Juneteenth trees are often used to celebrate the holiday adorned with ornaments symbolizing freedom, African-American heritage, and the historical significance of June 19, 1865, commemorating the end of slavery in the US.

Just like the roots of a tree, Cool Green Trees is committed to reaching out and connecting with local communities in Jefferson County to gain the knowledge and understanding of what our residents need and want to see in their neighborhoods. We are a community-driven organization, planting trees to mitigate urban heat islands and advance environmental justice to improve the health of our communities for generations to come.

06/18/2026

No Forest Friday this Friday! Join us next Friday the 26th for our volunteer tree maintenance event in A.G. Gaston Park in the Rising - West Princeton neighborhood of Birmingham near Rickwood Field. 🌳

We'll be adding topsoil and mulch to trees we recently planted at the park. All supplies will be provided. We’re keeping a close eye on the forecast and will share with those who have signed up by Thursday afternoon if we need to reschedule due to weather.

Please RSVP in the link on our website (l!nk in comments), or email us at [email protected].*

📅 Friday, June 26
🕛 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
📍 A.G. Gaston Park, 916 Washington Ave. SW, Birmingham, AL 35211 (parking lot available)

Age Requirement: 18+ or minors accompanied by a parent/guardian/chaperone

What to Bring: Wear long pants, clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and closed-toed shoes for safety. Bring water to stay hydrated, sunscreen, bug spray, and possibly a raincoat and a sun hat.

*Registration is not required to attend, but is requested for planning purposes.

06/17/2026

🌱 Sowing seeds of knowledge 🌱
We enjoyed presenting to Camp Sow Sow in Midfield yesterday sharing about our work and fun tree facts! Tree education is an important part of our mission in areas like Midfield where there are urban heat islands in Jefferson County. 🌳

Thank you to Master Gardeners Ms. Dorothy Leonard and friends for putting on this two-week gardening summer camp for kids sponsored by Cawaco RC&D.

06/16/2026

Welcome back to Tree of the Week! 🌿

Next up: the Flowering Dogwood

A very common sight in Jefferson County, the Flowering Dogwood is another perfect tree for landscape decoration. They’re also great for land restoration, improving the soil as their leaf litter decomposes faster than most trees.

Native to Eastern United States and parts of Mexico, Dogwoods provide food and shelter for many birds, rodents, and other woodland creatures like foxes and deer! 🦌🍃🐿️ Fun fact: Their white, pink, or red “petals” are not true flowers—they are called bracts, which are modified leaves that evolved to attract pollinators. The actual flowers are tiny, inconspicuous clusters of greenish-yellow blooms hidden at the center of the bracts.

Where did you last see this beautiful ?

06/15/2026

Thank you to our volunteers and interns who helped us pick up litter and provide mulch for the 36 trees we recently planted in Highlands (AKA McMahon) Park in Ensley last Friday at our Forest Friday! 🌳 We are committed to caring for the trees we've planted in urban heat islands across Jefferson County for at least 2–3 years after planting. 💚

Only two more volunteer opportunities with us this summer! Join us for one of our upcoming Forest Fridays:

📅 June 26
🕛 9–11 a.m.
📍 AG Gaston Park

📅 July 10
🕛 9–11 a.m.
📍 Collegeville

RSVP on our website (l!nk in comments). We hope to see you this summer! Volunteers are truly essential to our mission, and we are so grateful for every single one of you! 🙏

06/12/2026

New Series Alert 🚨 We’re excited to announce a new series that we’re calling Tree of the Week, where we’ll highlight a few of our most commonly planted native trees in the coming weeks! 🌳🌱

First up: Eastern Redbud🌸

Known for its beautiful, bright pink buds and cute heart-shaped leaves, this tree is a perfect choice for those who want to spruce up their surroundings. With a native range that spreads across the Southeast, the Eastern Redbud provides valuable food and shelter to many songbirds and nectar-loving insects. Plus, with the right know-how, us humans can add the flowers to salads or even fry them!

What do you love about this ? We can’t wait to share more of our favorite trees with you! 💚🌞

06/11/2026

Did you know we are a program of Cawaco RC&D Council? We are tree-mendously grateful to be a part of this amazing organization that does so much for our community in central Alabama! 🌳💚 See how we’ve grown so far this year! 👇

06/11/2026

Cool Green Trees is excited to introduce our two new interns working with us this summer! 😎

Please join us in welcoming our second intern, Charlotte Walthall, who is currently completing her BA in Environment & Sustainability and minor in Psychology at University of the South. She is concentrating her studies in Conservation.

Charlotte believes all change starts with community, especially within the climate space. She loves just how much trees can offer us, from providing vital biodiverse habitats, to soil and water conservation and of course cooling urban environments.

Charlotte's career goals are to bring people closer to the natural environment and preserve it for generations to come.

Having also grown up in Birmingham, she is enthusiastic to be a part of the positive change Cool Green Trees creates and to see a place she loves deeply succeed.

06/10/2026

Help us give a warm welcome to two new interns working with us this summer! ☀️

First up is Anne Maison Tasker, who is currently completing her BA in International Relations and Dance at American University. She is concentrating her studies in Environmental Sustainability and will go on to complete an MA in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development.

Anne Maison focuses her career goals on making tangible, positive impacts on the environment. She loves to build relationships with new people and connect them with the natural world around them. For her, the space between people and planet is a vital bridge that can be explored and strengthened in countless new, innovative ways. This is especially true in urban environments, which is why she is very excited to join the Cool Green Trees team for the summer and cannot wait to help further our work in her beloved hometown in !

06/09/2026

Cawaco RC&D grants are open through June 30! Nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and community organizations in 5 counties in central Alabama can apply. Don’t wait—apply today!

Ready to lead a project that makes a difference in your community? RC&D grant applications are open through June 30.

The RC&D grant program connects Central Alabama communities to the resources and partnerships they need to help people thrive, grow the economy and protect the environment. Grants range from $5,000 to $20,000 and are open to nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and community organizations in Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, and Walker counties.

Priority areas this cycle:
- Community improvement
- Education
- First responder support
- Parks and recreation

Learn more and apply at cawaco.org.