CommuniTree started in 2016
as a grassroots effort of a few passionate people.
Originated by a group of local stakeholders with
a helping hand from Drew Hart of the US Forest
Service (Urban Forestry Liaison), CommuniTree closely
follows the Collective Impact Model. This Model
relies on "the commitment of a group of important
actors from different sectors to [form] a common
agenda… [to solve] a specific social problem" (Vogt &
Abood, 2020). Drew's previous experience in helping
to start Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) played a
major role in the selection of this model to build
CommuniTree. The model relies on five pillars.
1. Common Agenda: sharing a vision for change
2. Shared Measurement Systems: enabling
the reporting of success metrics
3. Mutually Reinforcing Activities: each stake-
holder playing to their strength while
contributing to the group's Common Agenda
4. "Backbone" Coordinating Organization: having a
group with dedicated staff, grant writing/fund-
raising expertise, and strong administrative skills
to coordinate large and/or diverse stakeholders
5. Open/Continuous Communication: fos-
tering trust and accountability
As expressed on their website, CommuniTree's
Common Agenda is "promot[ing] tree planting,
after-planting care, and maintenance of trees … with
the ultimate goal of creating a healthier and more
diverse tree population." Shared Measurement for
Data and Results is tracked through tree inventories,
surveys, post-planting inspections, and evalua-
tion research. To support these activities and other
pillars of the Collective Impact Model, CommuniTree
has received extensive support from academic
institutions, including DePaul University, Indiana
University, and Purdue University Northwest, in
the form of partnerships and research projects.
The third pillar of the Collective Impact Model,
Mutually Reinforcing Activities, is demonstrated
through the program's three
modalities of tree planting: 1)
public property installations
with assistance from the Student
Conservation Association; 2) tree
awards to cities/neighborhoods
through a sub-granting process
accomplished through its "Backbone" Coordinating
Organization, Northwest Indiana Regional Planning
Commission (NIRPC); and 3) tree installations on
industrial properties through a sub-grant program/
corporate investment program in cooperation with
international conservation non-profit Wildlife Habitat
Council and the industries that receive trees.
Having NIRPC serve as the Backbone Coordinating
Organization has proven invaluable. NIRPC is a regional
council of local governments serving the citizens
of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties in Northwest
Indiana. The main goals of the agency are to connect
and enable the citizens of this region to address issues
relating to transportation, the environment, and eco-
nomic development; they recognized early on that
trees could be a key contributor to accomplishing their
goals and engaging underserved communities. Their
connections with area environmental leaders—such
as municipal arborists and tree boards, in addition to
key stakeholders in industry, transportation, and gov-
ernment—led to the robust partnership and holistic
plan that supports the CommuniTree program.
A key component of CommuniTree's success has been
the focus on proper tree selection and after-planting
maintenance. Many times, communities and volun-
teers are very focused on the planting aspect of tree
programs. They see this as the direct action that will
benefit their community; it also looks great on social
media. But careful planning before installation and
proper watering afterwards are the key elements that
will allow these trees to reach their maximum benefits.
For these reasons, all groups and companies that
receive trees through the CommuniTree program are
required to fill out a brief application in which they
answer key questions about their purpose for planting
26 CityTREES
