Our History
Casey Trees was established in 2001 with a goal of restoring, enhancing and protecting the tree canopy of the Nation's Capital. In the years that have followed, Casey Trees has established itself as a local, national and international leader in urban forestry.
A Historical Snapshot
In the late 19th Century, the quantity and diversity of tree species located in Washington earned the District the moniker "City of Trees". However by the 1970's, the urban forest once envied by other world capitals had waned.
In 1999, Mrs. Betty Brown Casey, a longtime area resident and philanthropist, was deeply moved after reading the Washington Post article Mayor Working To Keep It Green profiling the staggering decline of the District's urban forest. Satellite imagery showed that the number of acres of heavy tree cover dropped 64 percent in two decades due to disease, development and natural attrition. Trees that died were not being replaced. The Committee of 100 on the Federal City appealed to then Mayor Anthony Williams to plant more trees in the District.
In a testament to how one single citizen can make a difference, Mrs. Casey gave a generous donation to the Garden Club of America to establish a non-profit organization to augment and support the work of the DC Government in reforestation and tree maintenance efforts. In 2001, Casey Trees was officially established.
Since then Casey Trees has planted almost 7,000 trees across all eight Wards and educated thousands on the important role trees play in making the District a more livable community.
Notable Milestones
2001
- Casey Trees established
- GIS Tree Cover Data is collected
- DC Urban Forest Preservation Act is passed
- “Planning before Planting” is implemented
- Technical Advisory Board established
- Casey Trees is recipient of Global ReLeaf Award for Community Urban Forestry from American Forests
2002
- District-wide inventory of all street trees conducted with volunteers
- School-based Education program is launched
- DC Tree Map is created
2003
- Tree Planting program begins
- Green Roof project is launched
- Citizen Forester Program is launched
- DC Schoolyard Greening Consortium begins in partnership with DC Watershed Protection Division
- American Elm Restoration program is initiated
- Casey Trees is recipient of Gold Leaf Award for Outstanding Landscape Beautification Activities from the International Society of Arboriculture
- Casey Trees is recipient of 2003 Great American Gardeners Award, Local Horticulture Award from the American Horticultural Society
2004
2005
- RFP (Request for Planting) program is launched
- Blue Ribbon Panel is convened to create Green Issue Briefs
- Earth Conservation Corps Partnership on Youth Environmental Leadership Development project begins
- Schoolyard Inventory
- Casey Trees is recipient of Gold Leaf Award for Outstanding Landscape Beautification Activities from the International Society of Arboriculture and NeighborWoods Award from the Home Depot Foundation
2006
- Mrs. Casey and Casey Trees are recipients of Caroline French Morton Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation
- Partnership with Urban Forestry Administration and Downtown Business Improvement District to educate and involve property owners and managers in the care and stewardship of downtown trees is announced
- Living Legacy Tree Campaign is launched
- NOAA funded partnership with Living Classrooms-NCR leads to SLURRP launch (middle school)
- Casey Trees Blueprint is developed
- Green Roof focus/activities end
2007
- Casey Trees announces move to Brookland neighborhood
- Trees for Homeowners initiative (Tree Rebates, Treescape Design Workshops, RiverSmart Homes) launched in partnership with District Department of the Environment
- Green Build-Out Model results are issued
- Casey Trees is recipient of 2007 Professional Awards, Honor Award in Research from the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture for the Green Build-Out Model
2008
- Tree Space Design report issued
- Tree Benefits Calculator launched
- Recipient of Merit Award in Communications from the Maryland & Potomac Chapters of the American Society of Landscape Architects for the Tree Space Design report
- Tree Rebate program is expanded to include more types of trees
- Mrs. Casey is recipient of 2008 Great American Gardeners Awards, Catherine H. Sweeney Award from the American Horticultural Society
- Casey Trees is recipient of 2008 Vision Award from the Committee of 100 on the Federal City
- Carbon Offset Calculator launched
- Ongoing study of mortality and condition of trees planted by Casey Trees is initiated
- Casey Tree Farm is created
- Voluntary Remediation Action Plan is completed on future office site (former gas station) in Brookland
2009
2010
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