People for Trees, Inc.

08/09/2026

It really is true that we will sit in the shade of trees planted by others!

How sweet it is! Sweet gums, that is…
Here are some beautiful examples of a really great tree that produces lots of shade with its broad leaves that turn a beautiful orange in the fall. And better yet, they are the fruitless variety which do not produce the spiky seed pods most people will associate with northern Sweetgum Trees. And even better yet, their canopy is symmetrical with the branches pointing upwards, with good spacing between which makes them exceptionally resilient to hurricane force winds.
Kudos to Mary A. for buying these trees from one of the People for Trees’ past Tree Fairs, planting them, and sharing them with us!

08/09/2026

The rains have certainly been welcomed by the plantings that were put into place about one and a half years ago at the People for Trees’ Community Tree Walk/ Arboretum. Matthew Angley chose to do these plantings for his Eagle scout project and rounded up volunteers and secured donations. This “reforested” area is located between the access Road and Highway 41 just south of North Port Blvd. and had its beginnings in 2003.

08/09/2026

People for Trees adopted a number of city streets for road cleanups starting from about 20 years ago.
(N. Salford Blvd, Eldron, Ponce de Leon (Tropicaire to the I-75 overpass), Tropicaire (Ponce de Leon to Van Camp).
These photos are from a recent round of trash collections that included doing some of those roads twice over the course of one month. In addition, portions of Cranberry Boulevard and Chamberlain Boulevard were done just because they really needed it!

08/08/2026

“ We sit in the shade of trees planted by others…”  …and one day this tree will provide that shade for people.
It’s a Florida Elm that was recently added to our Community Tree Walk located between Tamiami Trail and Hwy 41 just south of North Port Blvd., (what today is referred to as “rewilding” ), a project that began 23 years ago, in 2003.
The next time you’re driving through that area, be sure to check it out.
PS - many of the trees have been planted in memorium, to commemorate special occasions, or for no reason other than to just plant a tree.
Contact Alice White for info: 941-468-2486 and volunteers are always welcomed and are much needed!

08/07/2026

How sweet it is! Sweet gums, that is…
Here are some beautiful examples of a really great tree that produces lots of shade with its broad leaves that turn a beautiful orange in the fall. And better yet, they are the fruitless variety which do not produce the spiky seed pods most people will associate with northern Sweetgum Trees. And even better yet, their canopy is symmetrical with the branches pointing upwards, with good spacing between which makes them exceptionally resilient to hurricane force winds.
Kudos to Mary A. for buying these trees from one of the People for Trees’ past Tree Fairs, planting them, and sharing them with us!

08/07/2026

With students reporting back to school Monday, August 10, it was time for the annual refresh of the Florida-friendly/Tree Garden area volunteers from People for Trees had installed on campus at Lamarque Elementary (North Port) back in 2010. Click on the pictures for identification for each plant. Be sure to also check out the beautiful specimen of a Sweetgum Tree, planted about 15 years ago, a wonderful choice for a shade tree here in Florida.

08/04/2026

A blast from the past! (2000).  This is an article from when People for Trees was advocating for the City of North Port to have an interlocal agreement with Sarasota County in order to utilize the county’s tree protection ordinance until such time when North Port would adopt a more effective tree ordinance of their own.
 In spite of the city’s own Tree/environmental Ad Hoc committee recommending such an agreement, the sitting commissioners voted against doing so.
It certainly wasn’t easy “being green” 26 years ago but a comprehensive Tree ordinance was finally adopted by the Commission in 2022, the major components of which mirror those first proposed for a “Minimum Tree Protection Standards City Charter Amendment” that went to the voters in 2002 but failed, 2-1.
Persistence does pay off.

08/04/2026

Alice White, chair of People for Trees, was invited to present a pollinator/Florida-friendly plants program for the residents of Village on the Isle, Venice Florida, and afterwards was treated to a tour of their Butterfly sanctuary!

08/04/2026

Alice White (People for Trees) toured the butterfly sanctuary at Village on the Isle after giving a pollinator program. Venice Florida.

08/04/2026

We were invited by Kate Ferguson from the Village on the Isle in Venice to present our Florida- friendly/ butterfly/ pollinator program for the residents. Chair Alice White was then given a tour of their garden club’s extensive butterfly garden. What a treat!