A big tree planting is going down in Fort Worth: On November 2, volunteers and community members will be up and at 'em at 9 am to plant 30 trees at Bunche Park, a 10-acre city park in the Carver Heights neighborhood at 5600 Ramey Ave. in southeast Fort Worth.

The trees will all consist of climate-resilient species: Pecan, Red Oak, Eves Necklace, Texas Redbud, and Cedar Elm.

According to a release, the planting is a collaboration between Texas Trees Foundation and the city of Fort Worth, and a celebration of Fort Worth's Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP): A substantial undertaking, the UFMP is a planning document to maintain and cultivate Fort Worth’s urban forest canopy.

Fort Worth has a history of maintaining its green infrastructure: from being the oldest and longest-running Tree City USA in Texas since 1978, to its designation of a wildlife sanctuary in 1964, which later became the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. More recently, in 2023, Mayor Mattie Parker spearheaded the Good Natured Fort Worth Green Space Initiative.

Texas Trees Foundation President and CEO Janette Monear says in a statement that the organization is honored to be part of such a righteous endeavor.

“It is an honor to bring our research, expertise, and focus to this partnership," Monear says. "We look forward to the opportunity to implement this vision for Fort Worth together – trees are a vital pillar of a healthy community.”

The UFMP will soon make its way to the Fort Worth City Council, and is expected to mark a critical milestone in the greening of Fort Worth and guide efforts to proactively manage, preserve, maintain, and grow the City’s tree canopy amidst ongoing growth and development. The plan goals and recommendations support the Tree City USA program objectives and Fort Worth’s vision to become the most livable city in Texas.

“Fort Worth is the fastest-growing city in America and is also currently half-developed," says Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker in a statement. "We have an opportunity, responsibility, and urgency right now to protect natural areas and plan for generations to come."

Adoption of the plan, encouraged by Texas Trees Foundation, will advance Fort Worth’s leadership role in urban forestry and allow the City to serve as an example to other metropolitan areas.

The collaboration involves the Texas Trees Foundation, the City of Fort Worth, Wells Fargo, Atmos Energy, the Nicholas Martin Jr. Family Foundation, and BNSF Railways, who are providing the trees for the planting.

Plan outcomes are set to include identifying priority planting and preservation areas, strategies, and action steps for achieving the current citywide tree canopy goal, and recommending amendments to the Urban Forestry Ordinance.

"Leaving this city better than we found it starts now, and the Urban Forestry Master Plan is a vital piece of that effort," Mayor Parker says. “The creation of a Fort Worth Urban Forestry Master Plan builds on this important work and will inform or next steps in implementing the protection of the City’s natural landscape and urban canopy for residents today and far into the future.”