Local nonprofit organization Savannah Tree Foundation (STF) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $1 million, four-year grant to fund its Canopy Corps program, which addresses tree inequity and provides green job training opportunities in Chatham County. The grant was awarded by the Georgia Forestry Commission as part of its federally-funded Trees Across Georgia program, created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

The program will feature a year-long arboriculture apprenticeship for individuals facing barriers to employment, especially those who are not traditionally represented in the arboriculture field. Participants in the program will attain the skills necessary to work in the tree industry or a related field. As a significant part of this program, apprentices will plant trees in historically underserved neighborhoods to increase tree canopy and address tree inequity in Chatham County.

“We are thrilled for this opportunity to expand Savannah Tree Foundation’s impact while building on our 41-year history of protecting and growing Chatham County’s urban forest,” says Savannah Tree Foundation Executive Director, Zoe Rinker, “In addition to greatly increasing our rate of tree planting, Canopy Corps is an amazing opportunity for us to extend the health and infrastructure benefits of trees to all parts of our community.”

“The Georgia Forestry Commission’s mission of protecting and enhancing community forests would not be achievable without amazing partnerships such as the one we have with Savannah Tree Foundation. The Canopy Corps program will not only get trees planted in places they are needed most in the County, but will also open an avenue for more people to get engaged with their community forests and the arboricultural industry in general,” said Seth Hawkins with the Georgia Forestry Commission

Each annual apprenticeship cohort will have three paid participants who will work full-time. STF will partner with local economic development nonprofit Step Up Savannah to identify candidates and provide soft skills training. In total, STF anticipates more than 1,600 new trees will be planted in underserved areas of Chatham County by the end of this program.

The program’s first cohort kicks off in June 2024, with additional yearly cohorts through 2027.

Savannah Tree Foundation (STF) has planted over 5,300 trees since its founding and is committed to protecting and growing the tree canopy in Savannah and Chatham County through planting, protecting, and engaging the community. To learn more about STF, their work, and how to get involved, please visit savannahtree.org.