Volunteers plant 200+ Avondale trees in largest community planting event

More than 200 volunteers came together in Avondale on Tuesday to plant over 200 trees. 

This year’s “Let’s Grow Local” event in Avondale set a record for the largest single-day tree planting event in Cincinnati’s history. Starting at Cleveland Park, the event aimed to expand the neighborhood’s tree canopy and transform the community landscape.

Throughout the day, volunteers worked on planting trees, cleaning up the park, removing invasive species and maintaining gardens.

The goal of increasing tree canopy in underserved neighborhoods has several benefits, including:

• Improved air quality,
• Reduced heat stress and cooling effects (up to 10 degrees cooler),
• Decreased flooding, and
• Enhanced mental health and community well-being

“The park is the heartbeat of the community,” said Sandra Jones Mitchell, president of the Avondale Community Council. “Adding more trees creates spaces for connection and enjoyment.”

The event was a partnership between Cincinnati Parks, Avondale residents, and MadTree Brewing.

As Ohio’s only B Corp certified brewery, MadTree leads this community-wide initiative with partners 1% for the Planet, Cincinnati Parks Foundation, Cincinnati Parks, and Groundwork Ohio River Valley. Since 2019, they have planted over 6,000 trees in five years.

MadTree volunteers and others, including local community leaders, gathered at Cleveland Park on Blair Avenue in the early afternoon to celebrate the day’s accomplishments.

“What started as an employee outing to plant 60 trees has grown exponentially, attracting more volunteers and making a larger impact each year,” said Rhiannon Hoeweler, VP of experience and impact at MadTree.