Help The Parks Department Count All The Trees In New York City

Have you ever wondered how many trees are in Bensonhurst, in Brooklyn, or in New York City? Now’s your chance to find out.

The third decadal Trees Count tree census is coming up and the city Parks Department is looking for more “volunTREErs” to help catalog the inventory. The volunteer process entails an online training, one field training/orientation event, and then a summer of however many volunteer hours you can spare. The results will be mapped out on an interactive map that everyone can see!

We’ll have staff on hand to teach you how to apply what you learned, answer any questions you have, and get you mapping right away! NYC Parks and our partners will continue to host mapping events through the summer, so once you’ve completed your field training you can join more events or head off on your own mapping adventure!

If you’re interested, sign up for an account with Trees Count 2015.

Previous tree censuses have yielded ongoing tree stewardship projects, such as a block pruning tree maintenance program and tree removal effort — after the 1995-1996 census revealed more than 10,000 dead street trees — and the MillionTreesNYC initiative after the 2005-2006 Tree Census revealed the environmental benefits provided by New York City street trees (i.e. “air quality improvement, energy savings, carbon sequestration, reducing stormwater runoff and other aesthetic benefits, [worth] almost $122 million annually.”