BLOOMINGTON— Sycamore Land Trust will give away over 600 free native tree seedlings at our annual “Arbor Day Tree Giveaway” on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Bloomingfoods East and Near West in Bloomington.
Sycamore is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) conservation and environmental education organization that protects over 11,727 acres of land and 146 protected properties in southern Indiana, including 13 public preserves with over 30 miles of free hiking trails. Sycamore maintains and restores habitat on our nature preserves and has planted over 100,000 native trees since 2023 to support biodiversity.
Sycamore gives away free tree seedlings at our annual “Arbor Day Tree Giveaway” to encourage everyone to be a part of creating beneficial native habitat at home and in their communities. Planting trees creates food and shelter for wildlife, absorbs carbon dioxide, and stores carbon in the soil.
This year, Sycamore will give away over 600 native tree seedlings grown by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Vallonia Nursery, giving visitors a choice of 14 native tree species that are beneficial to wildlife. Visitors will be limited to one free native tree seedling per person. Available native tree species (while supplies last): American plum, black cherry, blackgum (tupelo), chinkapin oak, elderberry, gray dogwood, hazelnut, silky dogwood, pawpaw, persimmon, red oak, shagbark hickory, Washington hawthorn, and one of our Land Stewardship team’s favorite species to plant on our nature preserves to support wildlife: white oak.
Native trees, especially oaks, are essential as host plants for caterpillars. Research indicates that oak trees, including white oaks, support over 900 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars in North America, making them a keystone plant for wildlife.
Arbor Day is a global holiday that celebrates the planting, care, preservation, and ecological importance of trees. Although some states celebrate Arbor Day at different times of year to ensure that the trees are in the best environment to thrive, the national observance falls on the last Friday in April. This year, Arbor Day is on Friday, April 25. To make it easier to access the free trees, this year’s Arbor Day Tree Giveaway will be held the day after Arbor Day on Saturday, April 26.
“Creating beneficial native habitat for wildlife is just as important at home in our yards and neighborhoods as it is in the nature preserves we protect. We hope this event will inspire our community to join us in planting more native trees to preserve Indiana’s remarkable biodiversity,” said John Lawrence, Sycamore Land Trust’s Executive Director.
Thank you to our friends at Bloomingfoods Co-op Market for co-hosting this event, to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Vallonia Nursery for growing the tree seedlings, and to IU Health for sponsoring this event.
Sycamore Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1990 to preserve the beauty, health, and diversity of southern Indiana’s natural landscape through strategic land conservation, habitat restoration, and environmental education. Sycamore preserves and cares for 11,727 acres of forests, wetlands, wildflower meadows, and other wild lands on 146 protected properties in southern Indiana. The organization maintains over 30 miles of hiking trails on 13 of its nature preserves for free public access. Sycamore’s Environmental Education Program connects thousands of people of all ages and abilities to nature through guided hikes and free education programs for local schools and community organizations. Learn more at sycamorelandtrust.org.
