The Worcester Tree Initiative (WTI) works to care for, protect, and advocate for the planting of trees in Worcester. Founded in 2009 in the wake of widespread tree removals due to infestations by the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), the Worcester Tree Initiative educates and empowers the community about the experiential and environmental impacts of a healthy urban forest.

The following profiles capture 12 unique stories about the personal and physical impacts of the Worcester Tree Initiative’s first 10 years. These narratives emerged from a semester-long collaboration between WTI and students in the Spring 2019 Visual Arts seminar at College of the Holy Cross, “Designing Green.” Students spent the semester exploring the history of “green” as color, concept, and space, including the study of gardens in varied religious and political frameworks, the origins of public parks, and the role of landscape in American settlement. To understand the local implications of these patterns, students worked in pairs to document the impact and stories behind a series of trees planted by WTI during the last 10 years. Students met with and interviewed tree recipients, photographed them with their trees, and then completed background research to understand the larger impact of the tree in each case. They then compiled their findings to create both poster- and website-based presentations of each case. We are excited to share their findings with you!