Events
Urban Forest Friends events focus on tree planting, tree care, and community outreach and education.
Tree planting season typically runs from October to April. Opportunities for tree care and outreach events happen year round.
Upcoming Events (open to the General Public)
Community Climate Events:
Tuesday, October 15th, 6-8:30pm. Newark on the Move: A Housing and Climate Forum. Join us for a dynamic candidate forum with Newark’s ten mayoral and city council candidates. Register to attend here. Location: Oasis Palace, 35145 Newark Boulevard, Newark.Â
Tree Planting Events:
Saturday, October 26th, 9am-noon. Mayhews Landing Park Tree Planting, Newark. Plant 15-20 trees. Register to volunteer here
Saturday, November 9th, 9am-noon. Lone Tree Creek Park Tree Planting, Fremont. Register to volunteer here
Saturday, November 23rd, 9am-noon. Newark Silliman Center Tree Planting. Sign-ups open mid-October.
UFF+Promotores: Newark Community Center Park Tree Planting
OCTOBER 2024
Trees Planted: 12
Volunteers: 58
Promotores builds community by developing local leaders and providing many community services. UFF plants trees to keep the community and planet cool. Together we make the future of Newark brighter.
Summer kick-off: Newark Community Center Park Tree Planting
JUNE 2024
Trees Planted: 15
Volunteers: 38
We kicked off summer in style by planting trees along a stretch of Community Center park that needed some shade! Adventurous volunteers even planted the heavy 25-gallon box Silver Maple trees. As always, thank you very much to Newark Parks staff for making this event possible - Dan, Miguel, Benji and Ray.
Arbor Day 2024: Jerry Raber Ash St Park Tree Planting
APRIL 2024
Trees Planted: 13
Volunteers: 39
We celebrated Arbor Day by planting new trees! Newark city councilmember Matthew Jorgens, CA Assemblymember Alex Lee, and NMHS Puente teacher Mr. Landon kicked off the event with opening speeches. Thank you to the volunteers representing NMHS Puente and Resource Label. Many thanks Newark Parks staff Dan, Gabe, and Benji for waking up super early to get everything ready, on top of being super busy the Newark State of the City event. Â
Cabrillo Trail Park Tree Planting and Celebration, Fremont
APRIL 2024
Trees Planted: 20
Volunteers: 60+
Urban Forest Friends recognizes and thanks Pacific Gas and Electric Company for its generous sponsorship of California ReLeaf's Growing Green Communities Grant program, which made our Cabrillo Neighborhood Tree Planting Event and Community Kick Off Celebration project possible.
Trees build community and we are so proud that our community came out and planted 20 trees. We had students from American High, Washington High, Irvington High, James Logan High, and Thornton Middle School. Thank you so much to Assemblymember Alex Lee, Mayor Lily Mei, Fremont Councilmembers Desrie Campbell, Teresa Cox, Raj Salwan and Jenny Kassan, Newark Councilmember Matthew Jorgens, the City of Fremont Urban Forestry Manager Chris Curry, and Fremont Parks supervisors Rafael and Savannah and Parks staff for supporting this event.
We also want to thank and recognize CAL FIRE and the US Forest Service, who continue to support urban and community tree planting efforts all over California through funding, education and other resources.
Newark Silliman Center/Sportsfield Park Tree Planting
APRIL 2024
Trees Planted: 12
Volunteers: 39
Great turnout for a beautiful day to plant twelve new trees! Thanks to Mayor Mike Hannon for an inspiring speech and for Newark Parks staff Dan, Miguel, Gabe, and Benji for getting everything set up in advance. Photo credit to Katie Fuerte, Newark Recreation & Community Services.
Warwick Elementary School Tree Planting, Fremont
MARCH 2024
Trees Planted: 10
Volunteers: 46
Warwick Elementary 5th graders helped plant ten new trees! The students learned from the UFF tree leaders and volunteers how to plant and care for trees, and why getting your hands dirty and planting a tree is fun! Thank you to Warwick Elementary principal, staff, students and other volunteers, as well as FUSD staff for supporting this event.
Fremont Neighborhood Tree Plantings, Fremont
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024
Trees Planted: 27
Volunteers: 62
A lively crew of volunteers tackled planting street trees for residents! It was a learning experience for all. To apply for a free street tree to be planted between your sidewalk and curb, you must live in a low-canopy neighborhood and commit to watering the tree for the first three years.
Lake Elizabeth Tree Planting, Fremont
JANUARY 2024
Trees Planted: 16
Volunteers: 51
We planted 16 California Sycamores and Coast Live Oaks near the Nature Learning Center at Lake Elizabeth. Many thanks to our volunteers for braving the rain, and Alex and Chris from City of Fremont for helping us make this event possible!
Byington Park Tree Planting, Newark
DECEMBER 2023
Trees Planted: 11
Volunteers: 28
We planted 2x Coast Live Oaks, 2x Forest Green Hungarian Oaks, 3x Green Mountain Silver Lindens, and 4x 'Sterling' Silver Lindens. Big thanks again to Dan, Josue, Lorenzo, and Brandon from City of Newark and to League of Volunteers (LoV) for the refreshments!
Jerry Raber Ash St Park Tree Planting (in honor of Retired Teachers Week)
OCTOBER 2023
Trees Planted: 11
Volunteers: 31
In conjunction with California Retired Teachers Association, we planted a beautiful combination of ginkgos, maples, zelkovas and flame mimosas!
2nd Annual Newark Library Tree Walk
OCTOBER 2023
Trees Covered: 6
Attendees: 19
We learned about six types of trees around the library and how to identify them. Thanks to Dan Cianciarulo from City of Newark for providing his tree expertise!
Washington High School Tree Care
SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER 2023
Trees Cared For: 76
Volunteers Engaged: 34
It's been over a year since our Washington High Tree Planting! We came back and mulched, pruned, updated tree poles and ties, and took care of the trees. We also helped clean litter around the area. Hard work but very rewarding!
Newark Community Center Park Tree Planting
SEPTEMBER 2023
Trees Planted: 10
Volunteers Engaged: 35
Planted 7 Coast Live Oaks around the Community Center and 3 Coast Live Oaks towards Newark Blvd. Many thanks to City of Newark staff and all our volunteers!
Quarry Lakes Tree Planting - Oak Savannah
MAY 2023
Trees Planted: 75
Volunteers Engaged: 50+
Planted 75 young Oaks (Coast Live, Englemann, Southern Live, Burr, and Cork Oaks) off the Old Creek Trail. These trees will grow to be a small oak savannah over the next decade. The oaks were grown from acorns cared for, and donated, by UFF. Collaboration with East Bay Regional Parks.
Westridge Park Tree Planting with Lam Research (Fremont)
MAY 2023
Trees Planted: 25
Volunteers Engaged: 30
Planted 25 one-gallon coast live oaks, in a collaboration with Lam Research and City of Fremont. The oaks were grown from acorns cared for, and donated, by UFF. The City of Fremont parks staff were very supportive of our park planting as well as the morning park visitors.
Mayhews Landing Park Tree Planting #2 (Newark)
APRIL 2023
Trees Planted: 9
Volunteers Engaged: 37
Planted 9 coast live oaks along the back entrance to the park. Thank you to Vice Mayor Sucy Collazo for kicking us off!
Fremont Earth Day Event
APRIL 2023
Meeting our Fremont community and encouraging people to plant trees in their neighborhoods! We offer a free street tree planting program for neighborhoods where more than three households agree to commit to taking care of trees.
Union City Arboretum Tree Walk Spring 2023
APRIL 2023
Trees Identified: 29Â
Attendees: 9
Teaching community members how to identify the various trees from the front of library to the entrance to the Arboretum. Welcomed special guest Nelson Kirk, former Union City arborist, who helped plant most of the arboretum trees! Collaboration with Union City Library.
Mayhews Landing Park Tree Planting (Newark)
FEBRUARY 2023
Trees Planted: 7Â
Volunteers Engaged: 16
Planted 5 coast live oaks and 2 bur oaks. These trees can live to be over 200 years old! Thanks to Mayor Mike Hannon for kicking us off!
Northgate Neighborhood Tree Planting
JANUARY 2023
Trees Planted: 8Â
Volunteers Engaged: 16
Warwick Elementary School Tree Planting
JANUARY 2023
Trees Planted: 6Â
Volunteers Engaged: 14
Union City Arboretum Tree Walk
AUGUST 2022
Trees Explored: 25Â
Attendees: 18
In conjunction with the Union City Library, we explored the wide variety of trees in the treasure trove that is the Union City Arboretum!
Couldn't make it? DIY the tree walk with the list of trees on our "Tree Info" page!
Newark Library Tree Walk
JULY 2022
Trees Explored: 6
Attendees: 21
In conjunction with the Newark Library, we explored the newly planted drought-tolerant trees in Newark Civic Center!
Couldn't make it? DIY the tree walk with the list of trees on our "Tree Info" page!
Parkmont Neighborhood, Fremont
MARCH 2022
Trees Planted: 14
Volunteers Engaged: 16
We canvassed the Parkmont neighborhood and offered free 15 gallon street trees. The trees, offered through a CAL FIRE grant were planted by community volunteers and will be cared for by the homeowners.
Newark Civic Center Park, Newark
MARCH 2022
Trees Planted: 8
Volunteers Engaged: 36
A lively crew of families from St. Edward's, NMHS and MSJ students, and community volunteers gathered at Civic Center Park to plant eight new trees. To kick us off, the kids gave presentations about Engelmann, Cork, and Coast Live Oak trees, and how trees help us!
Washington High School
FEBRUARY 2022
Trees Planted: 72
Volunteers Engaged: 106
First, volunteers prepared the holes for easier planting. Then, over three Saturdays, Washington High School students, with our coaching, supplies, and training, planted 72 15-gal Oaks, Redbuds, and Gingko trees around WHS, along Country Dr., Fremont Blvd. and Eggers Drive. These trees will provide shade and oxygen for years to come.
Parkmont Elementary School
FEBRUARY 2022
Trees Planted: 9
Volunteers Engaged: 35
Families and students of the Parkmont Elementary School came out to plant trees on their campus.
Newark Civic Center Park, Newark
DECEMBER 2021
Trees Planted: 5
Volunteers Engaged: 13
Our first Newark tree planting! We planted three Autumn Blaze Maples and two Coast Live Oaks.
Sabercat Park, Fremont
NOVEMBER 2021
Trees Planted: 84
Volunteers Engaged: 64
In partnership with the City of Fremont, Microsoft, Greenkeepers, and Arbor Day Foundation, eighty four native trees were planted over four Saturdays. We did weeks of ground preparation that included watering and pre-auger work, in addition to providing all the equipment, leadership for planting teams, and planting training for the Tree Coaches.
Niles Discovery Church, Fremont
OCTOBER 2021
Trees Planted: 6
Volunteers Engaged: 24
In preparation for the large Arbor Day Foundation Sabercat Park tree planting, 20 new Tree Coaches were given hands-on training in planting five new 15-gallon trees at Niles Discovery Church.
Greenkeepers Sabercat Park, Fremont
APRIL 2021
Trees Planted: 25
Volunteers Engaged: 24
Urban Forest Friends assisted Greenkeepers with tree planting at Sabercat Creek in April 2021.
Old Misson Park Tree Planting, Fremont
MARCH 2021
Trees Planted: 4
Volunteers Engaged: 8
Tree planting with Bridge Rotary
First Tri-City Urban Forest Alliance Tree Planting, Fremont
FEBRUARY 2020
Trees Planted: 8
Volunteers Engaged: 12
First ever tree planting for TUFA (now UFF). Planted 8 trees in front of homes in Fremont. Owners got to participate in the planting, learn about the importance of trees, and agreed to maintain and water them for the first three years.