Of course, you can plant and care for trees without anybody knowing about it. But this guide is about nurturing community. Magic develops when people work together and tell the world they're working together. Running a successful event requires enormous effort, but it's worth every bead of sweat.

Event Logistics

Determining how many trees to plant or maintain over what period of time is one of your most critical decisions. If you bite off more than you can chew, you'll wind up with a failure that could have been avoided. Your first project should be large enough to challenge you but small enough to be manageable. For building community excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment, aim for small wins rather than large failures.

Scope and Scale

Ideally, set up your project to be accomplished in a single day. It's difficult to maintain leadership or volunteer energy on events that run longer.

Optimal event size depends on various factors: the number of experienced leaders or supervisors available to you; the number of untrained volunteers participating; the difficulty of the site (whether it involves soil digging, concrete removal, or slope, for instance); the size of the trees; and the planting requirements. For planning, figure on a team of two or three well-guided adult volunteers taking approximately two hours to plant a large street tree. Adding time for the logistical details of set-up and clean-up, you shouldn't expect that team to plant more than two or three trees in a day.

For instance, if you have forty large trees to plant over several blocks, you'll need between forty and sixty people to comfortably accomplish the task in a day. This rule works well if all work is done the day of the event. If you're working with residents who can't deal well with heavy work, you may want to recruit additional labor sources to help dig the holes either a day in advance or just before the planting.

Preparing the Site for Trees

For some projects, preparing the site means clearing a small area of weeds and grass and poking a hole in the soil. This simple and inexpensive approach is usually employed to plant seeds where the soil layer is deep and well drained; where the slope is not excessively steep; where there are few surrounding space limitations such as buildings, utilities, or other existing vegetation; and where permits are not required once permission is obtained from the property owner.

For projects at developed sites, getting the site prepared might be more involved. You'll need to make sure it's accessible on the day of planting. This might mean getting a gate opened, or having city officials close off the street or lane or post caution signs.

Cutting pavement, concrete, or asphalt, breaking it up, and hauling it away is an example of major preparation that must be done beforehand. You must check for underground utilities at least forty-eight hours before you begin cutting. Nothing can ruin your day like cutting through electrical, gas, or sewer lines! In Southern California, call the Underground Service Alert a.k.a. DigAlert at 1-800-422-4133. Caution: Very stiff fines are assessed for cutting concrete without notifying the utilities in advance. In California-under AB 73-those that cut without knowing the law are subject to a $10,000 fine, and those who knowingly break the law are subject to a $50,000 fine.

Once the concrete is out, dig a single test hole if you're planning to plant large container trees; you'll get a better idea of whether tools like picks, digging bars, and augers (drills) will be useful. Soil dries out as soon as it's exposed to air, so if you plan to dig the holes in advance, replace the dirt until planting time.

Checking Your Soil

You can gauge a good deal about the quality of the soil on your site by looking at existing vegetation. Are the trees and shrubs healthy and thriving, or are they stunted, discolored, or suffering in some way?

It's important to check drainage too. Bad drainage is a common problem in urban environments, and tree roots do not take well to being suffocated by standing water. Here's a simple test. Dig a hole about a foot across and a foot deep; then fill it with water. If the water drains at less than one inch per hour, drainage is poor; one to three inches per hour is good; and more than three inches per hour is excessive. Soil that drains too slowly can be improved by augering (drilling) holes several feet deep every few feet and filling them with coarse gravel. Soil that drains very quickly should be mixed with an organic soil amendment. Consult a professional arborist if you have questions.

Above all, remember it is best to choose a tree that likes the native soil - like a native tree.

Watering

Most important of all, newly planted trees must be watered right away. Be confident you can get water to the trees during the planting and afterward. Very deep watering at the beginning establishes all species well-including those that will be drought tolerant. Don't be stingy. Gallons used now can prevent gallons later on. There are a number of options for water delivery.

Residents or businesses can each water their own tree. Dragging out a hose from each house or business on the day of the planting or tree-care event is the simplest way to water your trees, and it adds to the sense of community. If logistics won't allow this, you can bring a hose with you and use an available spigot.

You could also organize a bucket brigade! Trash cans filled with water, coupled with buckets that can be carried by kids or others, is a fine solution. One thirty-gallon trash can water two street trees or five to six seedlings. Even wheelbarrows have been known to deliver water to trees, though they must be emptied slowly.

Facilities

Restrooms and drinking water should always be available for volunteers. Locate the nearest restrooms-check at gas stations, fast-food restaurants, shopping malls, neighbors' homes, churches, temples, and other places for permission to use their facilities.

Storage

Events are usually on weekends, and nurseries and building-supply companies often deliver only on weekdays. If you're planning a good-sized event, you may need a central, safe, and secure location to store the supplies that arrive in advance. Someone is sure to have a yard you can use, but don't take anything for granted. Arrange for storage well ahead of the event.

Disposal

Whether you're running a planting or a tree-care event, you need a place of disposal. When planting street trees, the planting style and the size of the watering basins will determine whether or not you have soil left over. On a residential street, leftover soil is usually snapped up for gardens, but in a commercial zone, you'll need a method of transport and a place of disposal. With luck, your local street-maintenance or parks department can be talked into lending a hand and a dump truck. If this is not possible, consider putting the soil in the empty tree pots and hauling them to a preapproved site.

You'll have an even bigger disposal challenge if you're cutting concrete. If you contract out the work, make sure that the contractor agrees to haul the debris. If you do it yourself, look for a place where broken concrete is recycled, such as a landscape or building-supply firm that uses it for building decorative landscape walls or a concrete recycling facility. Again, check with a city agency to see whether the concrete can be hauled free of charge.

If you're planning a tree-care event that involves pruning, removing suckers, or weeding, think about the trimmings. Estimate how much you think you'll be producing. Without experience, this is difficult to measure, but not impossible. Consider the number of trees you're working on and the work you're going to do; then look at the trees. Are there a lot of weeds or suckers? Are the trees small, requiring little trimming, or are they large?

Trimmings, being good organic waste, make perfect mulch. Since you're planting and maintaining trees to help heal the city, your first call should be to see if there's a city service that will use a chipper to convert the trimmings to mulch for the trees you've just aided.

Be Safe

Remember to take along a fully equipped first-aid kit and have on hand the addresses and phone numbers of the nearest paramedics or rescue service, fire station, police department, and hospital emergency room. For events, assign a qualified volunteer to first aid.

Match the volunteers' physical ability with the site. Keep in mind the terrain and its steepness, proximity to heavily traveled streets, the possibility of bugs and reptiles, or broken glass and other debris in the area. Only responsible people should operate power equipment and vehicles. Don't allow anyone to ride on tailgates or the sides of a truck bed. And don't move any vehicle without checking for kids, dogs, and the like. Have someone act as a spotter when necessary.

Instruct supervisors and volunteers on the safe way to use and carry tools and don't use any that are broken or faulty. Lay all shovels, rakes, picks, and other tools point down or flat on the ground and keep volunteers well spaced when using tools swung over the shoulder.

Run a tree planting effectively to avoid careless accidents. Don't allow anyone-adults or children-to run around, throw things, or play with tools. The only thing participants should be allowed to throw is water-at one another-after a long, hot day!

Contacts

Let your city councilperson or county supervisor know whenever you're working in the area. They may offer organizing assistance if you let them know ahead of time. Even if you don't need their assistance, it's a good idea to keep them updated so they're aware of your interest in greening your neighborhood.

A few days before the event, call the local police station. Tell the watch commander you and your neighbors will be out planting or maintaining trees. It pays to warn them that people will be working on the street or in a public place.

Vehicles and Tools

Large events require trucks to help move tools, trees, and supplies. Try borrowing from the people in your neighborhood or have them talk with their friends or family members.

It's also likely that your neighbors have tools: picks, shovels, hoses, and trash cans you can use for small events. For larger events, start by asking volunteers to bring their own tools. If you're working with TreePeople, you'll have access to an efficient tool bank.

Whatever you do, be sure to set up a tool checkout so that everybody gets back what they loaned. A simple suggestion is to number your tools and your volunteers at the check-in table. You'll still lose things now and then, but it sends a message that you're watching and can't afford to give away equipment.

Food

Volunteers feel appreciated and nurtured when they're provided with food to stave their hunger or drinks to quench their thirst. See if neighbors who aren't up to the physical labor can bake goodies or make lemonade or coffee. It's also likely you can inspire a local business or service club to host that part of your event. Seeing neighborhood improvement going on, local restaurants and fast-food outlets can usually be persuaded to donate several dozen donuts, hamburgers for lunch, or a number of party pizzas.

Spreading the Word

You can recruit volunteers, create public awareness, and acknowledge those who donated to your project-all through the media. You can also publicize your event with fliers.

For every planting, someone should be responsible for spreading the word. Make simple fact sheets to mail to the local newspaper. Check deadlines. Post fliers on community bulletin boards at supermarkets and other businesses, the library, and civic buildings in the area. Distribute fliers door to door in the immediate vicinity. Call any local celebrities and politicians to be on hand for the event.

Be sure your flier clearly states the date, time, and place of the event; what exactly is going to happen; who is sponsoring it; and a telephone number to call for more information. Make it attractive, enthusiastic, and readable.

Managing Volunteers

Energetic, die-hard, well-managed volunteers are vital to the success of your event. Once volunteers are on board, let them know they're being counted on: Some people take volunteer commitments lightly and choose at the last minute to drop their obligations. It's important your volunteers understand that they can and will affect the quality of the event if they choose not to honor their commitments. There are ways to do this without scaring people off. You don't want to have to fire anyone. On the other hand, nobody's going to feel good about an event that fizzles through lack of commitment. The biggest trap is the One-Person-Tree-Machine syndrome. No matter how efficient one individual is, he or she cannot dream, organize, and carry out a project single-handedly. If you appear to have it all together, your committee and event volunteers may perceive they're not needed and just not come. Ask yourself who's to blame. Is it all their fault or fifty-fifty?

When recruiting volunteers, calculate how many you need, then shoot for 10 to 20 percent more to cover for last-minute dropouts. There's nothing worse than a lack of good volunteers, except perhaps burning out the few you have by making them finish the project on their own. While you want to make sure you don't underestimate volunteer numbers, it also isn't great to have too many volunteers and not enough work. They'll wonder why they came in the first place and will be difficult to motivate later on. People do volunteer for the right reasons; they want to work hard for something they care about. But the most widely reported reason for volunteering, across the board, is social. So make sure the volunteers have a good time!

To have trees thrive in the urban environment, and to have your reputation thrive in the eyes of the bureaucracy and the public, you must guarantee a high planting or maintenance standard. It's important to have experienced people at your event, who not only know how to plant and care for trees but can also show others and check that it's done correctly. TreePeople can certainly help with this.

The success of the event depends on how well it is managed. The leader must stay aware and awake, paying constant attention to how things are working. Volunteers and work need to be divided so that everyone has challenging tasks. If the leader stops leading, things can easily fall apart.

Be sure you have different "levels" of volunteers, from those who can supervise and make sure trees are planted correctly, to problem solvers, drivers, and refreshment organizers.

Start by 9am and aim to finish by 1pm if possible; having a lunch break in the middle of the event is a sure way to lose half your crowd. If your event will last all day, be sure everyone is clear about the time to break for lunch - and the time to get back to work.

Event Flow

To keep things moving, create an agenda with a timeline. Include everything from the time you start to the time you go home with the job completed. An agenda will give the day a general structure and ensure that nothing's left out. Make a list of what you (or others) are to bring to the site Check off these items as they arrive. If the event is right outside your house, you should have all tools and supplies gathered in one spot the day before.

On the Day

You should plan on having an advance team arrive at the site at least one hour before everyone else.

Bring the team together so those who have not yet met can do so, and go over the agenda. Remember, these people are the net that holds everything together. Have a refresher on the planting or pruning style you want to use so all volunteers get the same instructions for that specific site, and repeat to supervisors here what you will tell the whole group at the kickoff, so they can pass it along to any late arrivals. Be sure to cover safety instructions and to explain where the bathrooms and refreshments are.

The advance team should then get everything ready for the volunteers (for example, posting no-parking or direction signs, or opening gates to the site). If volunteers arrive early, make sure they're assigned jobs to prevent their standing around getting bored and feeling useless. If you prepare well, everyone can concentrate on getting trees in the ground when things get rolling.

Making It Ceremonial

Ceremonies or press conferences can be an important part of an event. They offer a chance to acknowledge those who made the project possible, including donors, planners, other groups who assisted, volunteers, and anybody else who played a role. A ceremony is also a place to talk about what you're doing in your community and can be used to recruit support for future projects.

Though ceremonies take a lot of work, they're important for large, well-publicized events. If you decide to have a ceremony, ask yourself the following questions: What's its purpose? How long will it last? (Fifteen to twenty minutes should be the maximum.) Who will speak? (It may be you or a member of your group, local officials, celebrities, major donors or sponsors of the project, representatives of the groups that were important to the planning process, or people being acknowledged for their support.) How many people are expected? How many chairs and tables will be needed? Will you need a public-address system?

What to wear and what to bring

Wear

• boots or sturdy-toed shoes (no open-toed shoes)
• long pants
• clothes that can get dirty (because they will)
• layers of clothing to adjust with temperature
• bandana for all-around usefulness (chosen carefully if work is in gang territory)
• gardening or work gloves
• hats and/or sunglasses

Bring

• something to drink
• lunch or a snack
• camera and film for before-and-after documentation

Get Down to Work!

If you don't have a ceremony, it's important to have a kickoff gathering to bring volunteers together for an orientation. Welcome everyone and thank them for choosing this event over everything they could have done that day. Let them know a little about the planting: who's involved, who paid or sponsored, who did the background work, and what trees are being planted or pruned and why. Give participants an overview of the day and your expectations of them; for example, you can announce that trees, to survive, need to be planted correctly so you need folks to listen well, to help one another and share tools, and, if possible, to stay for the whole event and help clean up. Explain that a well-controlled event will be a safe, high-quality event. Depending on the size of the turnout, either give a demonstration or divide the participants into supervised groups so they can go off and have their demo. Ideally, each group shouldn't have more than about fifteen members. With many more, volunteers lose attention and miss vital information. Individuals can then be assigned to their work areas.

It's a good idea to keep someone at the sign-in table to greet late arrivals, VIPs, or news media. It also makes sense to keep a supervisor free to give late planting or pruning instructions. If that's not possible, assign late arrivals to already-working teams so they can get on-the-job training. Even experienced volunteers who go to work without an orientation are more likely than not to be out of sync and to use an incorrect technique.

As the day progresses, the leader, supervisors and problem solvers should continue to monitor the quality of the work and offer correction where needed. If it's going to be a long day, plan on building in rest or refreshment breaks. These can be spontaneous, taken by each team as it completes a tree, or done in unison with the entire group-a good idea for lunch.

Whenever possible, maintain group unity and you'll keep intact a tremendous amount of extra energy in the form of synergy. When a project is long and hard, working alone without the support of the group can be draining. The synergy of the group can carry everyone through the fatigue and keep spirits high. It is this synergy that keeps people coming out for events. Capture it, nurture it, and you and your efforts will be applauded and appreciated throughout the neighborhood, because you'll turn your events into something very special-a celebration of community that people will never forget.

On a similar note, the wrap-up and clean-up is best done with the aid of the entire group. There's nothing more depleting than feeling abandoned to do the dirty work. Cleaning, stacking, counting, sorting the tools, rolling hoses, and even washing vehicles and putting away the tools can be fun when done by the people who've just shared the day together. If it's not done this way, the wrap-up process can take days. The person left holding the ball-most likely you-will resent not having received any help and will probably never want to do the work again. Don't sabotage the process. Let everyone know ahead of time you expect to see a full team till the end. In fact, volunteers who cheat themselves of a good completion often regret it later when they hear about the good time everyone had after the event.

Celebration

Once the day has been declared complete, you may want a completion celebration. This can be as simple as a potluck meal at someone's house or a lunch provided by those who can't work, or as complicated as closing the street for a block party or having a party at a local school or house. A celebration gives everybody a chance to enjoy what they've accomplished.