For Immediate Release
Camila Restrepo, Communications Coordinator, TreeFolks
Email: camila@treefolks.org | cell: 646-469-0620
Celebrate National Arbor Day by Voting for the Austin Tree of the Year Awards
Austin, TX – April 25th, 2025—In honor of National Arbor Day, TreeFolks is launching nominations for the Austin Tree of the Year Awards. This annual program highlights remarkable trees in the Austin area and encourages community participation. Austinites are invited to nominate and vote for their favorite tree in the following five categories: Small Tree, Large Tree, Story Tree, Unique Tree, and Schoolyard Tree. The nomination period will be open from April 25, 2025, until November 7, 2025, which is Texas Arbor Day.
The Tree of the Year Awards aim to raise awareness about the valuable benefits of trees, such as carbon sequestration, air purification, and heat mitigation. By encouraging the public to nominate and vote for their favorite trees, TreeFolks seeks to educate people about these benefits in a fun and interactive way. The initiative fosters a deeper understanding of tree characteristics and promotes a heartfelt connection to the beauty of Austin’s natural environment.
The program, originally created in March 2007 and running until 2013, made a triumphant return in 2022 with support from the Still Water Foundation. Now, in 2025, TreeFolks is excited to host another year in partnership with the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department. Following the nomination period, community members will proudly cast their votes for their favorite tree in each category. The program concludes in an Awards Ceremony and a Bike Tour led by the TreeFolks Young Professionals, who volunteer, educate, fundraise, and build community in support of TreeFolks’ inspiring mission: to plant, care for, and give people free trees to plant!
How To Get Involved
TreeFolks invites community members to nominate a tree by visiting austintreeoftheyearawards.org.
About Austin Parks and Recreation
Austin Parks and Recreation seeks to inspire the community to learn, play, protect and connect by creating diverse programs and experiences in sustainable natural spaces and public places. This City of Austin Department protects and maintains parkland, urban forest, and trails as well as offering sports, recreation, educational enrichment, arts programs, cultural opportunities, and nature and aquatic activities for Austinites. For more information visit AustinTexas.gov/Parks and follow @AustinCityParks.
About TreeFolks
TreeFolks is a nonprofit organization committed to creating healthy, thriving urban forests in Central Texas. Through tree planting, conservation, and education initiatives, TreeFolks enhances the natural environment, benefiting both the community and future generations.
