Healthy Trees, Healthy Streams

Background. In 2023, the Collaborative developed an exciting project idea. In late 2024, funding was received to initiate it. The Arkansas CommuniTree Project is the first community supported tree bank in Arkansas.  Partners are working together to grow high quality potted trees from bare root seedlings.  These 'communitrees' are then donated to reforestation projects around the state focused on stream and lake side corridors or "forested riparian buffers" in watersheds that provide drinking water to Arkansans. Forested riparian buffers provide shade for both land and aquatic life and a strong and stable streambank resistant to erosion and resulting loss of land. They "filter" the water runoff flowing across land as it drains to our creeks, rivers, and lakes that ultimately provide our drinking water.

 

The Partners. Representatives from the Arkansas Dept of Agriculture's Division of Forestry, Conway Corporation, Central Arkansas Water, Beaver Water District, Arkansas Master Naturalists, local schools, and citizen volunteers are working together to provide high quality, locally sourced potted trees to Arkansas landowners. Thank you to Central Arkansas Water, Beaver Water District, and Conway Corporation for providing the "host" sites for these trees to live and be cared for during the next year.  A huge thank you to the volunteers who have helped us already! To date, we have over 3,300 trees potted and growing at these host sites and 700 trees planted in the War Eagle Creek floodplain, an area that filters water entering Beaver Lake, a critical drinking source for over 500,000 Arkansans. 

 

Healthy Roots = Healthy Streambanks! This project aims to address and remove barriers to landowners wanting to restore healthy forests in their floodplains. Conservation efforts like this can help prevent or minimize erosion, loss of land, and resulting sedimentation downstream.  This positively affects downstream neighbors, minimizes the need for removing accumulated sediment at water utility intakes, protecting vital drinking water sources now and into the future.  If your organization would like to join in this important state wide project, email us below for more details!

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Interested in volunteering?  We have ongoing monitoring and monthly maintenance at our grow sites, we have volunteer potting events in fall, winter, and spring and planting opportunities in the winter or dormant season (Dec - Mar). Click the link below to visit our volunteer events page to learn more. If you would like to join our mailing list for future volunteer opportunities please send your information to: arforestsandwater@gmail.com. Thank you!