On Sunday, November 26, 2023, the International WeLoveU Foundation and a distinguished design firm, HDR, Inc., came together to plant trees in New Haven, Connecticut. The Fair Haven neighborhood is one of New Haven’s lowest canopy neighborhoods.  

This impactful initiative was part of WeLoveU’s Mom’s Garden Project, which aims to plant 1 million trees worldwide by 2026. It’s estimated that one mature tree can absorb anywhere from 22 to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide every year. By planting 1 million trees, WeLoveU aims to help achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and create a sustainable world to keep the Earth green.  

Serving the Community One Tree at a Time  

Planting trees in urban neighborhoods like New Haven is very important. It reduces crime and provides shelter for people and animals. It beautifies the area, which benefits the mental health of those in the community and brings feelings of relaxation and well-being. Trees also help improve our environment by reducing carbon emissions while conserving water and reducing soil erosion.  

A total of 18 full-size trees were planted among WeLoveU and HDR volunteers. Eighty-five volunteers across Connecticut and Rhode Island and HDR joined forces to plant Connecticut native trees such as American Sweetgum, Swamp White Oak, Sugar Maple, Plum Purple Leaf Prunus, Crabapple “Radiant” Malus Tree, and Red Maples. The trees of varying sizes ranged from 1.5” to as large as 3” caliper.  

The volunteers gathered in groups of five to six to tackle hole digging, rock removal, planting, and securely filling and covering the trees with compost, soil, and mulch. Home Depot contributed their support with the tools to perform the planting, and many local nurseries donated trees to the cause. 

City of New Haven Tree System Coordinator and Tree Warden Annie Mixsell led a demonstration on properly planting the trees. Annie and her staff volunteered their helping hands on the weekend and guided the volunteers throughout the planting process. Annie said, “We have only about 23% canopy cover here in Fair Haven, compared to some of our other neighborhoods in New Haven, where we are up to about 38%. So, getting new trees here is really important.” 

Continued Partnerships Help Fulfill Goals 

HDR brought many engineers from the local Connecticut and greater Boston area to support the tree planting. Many of the staff members are passionate about the environment since they serve their local communities on a daily basis through various city-based and even national projects. With eight HDR staff volunteers and 77 WeLoveU volunteers, they finished planting at a record speed of less than two hours. 

HDR’s Associate and Senior Project Manager, Sandra Stavola, PE, mentioned that she “Had a lot of fun. It was a lot of community engagement.” She said, “I had fun with my coworkers, and it was great to be with WeLoveU and learn more about the organization.” 

Kevin P. Morrison, Jr., PE, HDR’s Senior Civil Engineer and Project Manager from Boston, MA, stated, “So great to help out the community — such a great day. We had tons of volunteers. We had planted a whole bunch of trees in record time, and it’s great to get out and help out. I love planting trees. One thing when you plant trees too, you’re doing it for a future generation, and it’s something that you’re not going to see for a long time. A future generation gets to benefit from that.” 

With awareness, the volunteers could bring the trees to an area of need. This is the second tree planting that HDR and WeLoveU have partnered on. Last year, the partners planted 30 large trees to combat deforestation at a State Park in Ringwood, NJ. The two have been lasting partners. In past years, both groups joined to participate in cleanups and donation projects, such as winter gear drives and tablets. Currently, they’re working together to construct a calming room for students at University High School in Newark, NJ. 

WeLoveU and HDR believe the trees will strengthen and beautify the New Haven community and look forward to returning in Spring to see them blossom.