(NAPERVILLE, IL. January 10)- Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) and The Davey Tree Expert Company created a new grant program to provide funding support for education and training in tree care and/or urban forestry topics. 
The Davey Tree Expert Company Endowment Fund (The Davey Fund) is a permanently restricted endowment fund of TREE Fund, created to support community-based arboricultural education in the US. As canopy increases, trees will need care. To meet that need, education about trees at all levels needs to increase. Davey Tree, with over a century of institutional knowledge in the field, began the process of endowing a fund five years ago to address this funding gap for years to come.
"At Davey, we know that it’s not enough to just plant and care for trees, we also need to educate our communities about the benefits of trees,” said Sandra Reid, executive vice president of corporate communications and strategic planning. “As arborists and environmental stewards, we understand the critical role that trees play in creating healthy, vibrant communities, and we look forward to seeing how this fund will educate people about the value that trees bring to our neighborhoods.”
The purpose of The Davey Tree Expert Company Community Arboriculture Education Grant Program is to provide funding support for education/training in tree care and/or urban forestry topics and is designed to support nonprofit educational programs. Projects are expected to be completed within one year. Two grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded annually. The application process will take place during TREE Fund’s Spring Grant Application Cycle, which takes place from January 15 to March 15, annually.
“TREE Fund is committed to advancing education and training in tree care and urban forestry, equipping communities with the knowledge needed to care for our urban forests,” said Paul Putman, PhD, President and CEO of TREE Fund. “We are excited to partner with Davey Tree to support this important initiative. Through this grant program, we aim to empower community-based nonprofit organizations to deliver impactful educational programs, ensuring a brighter future for trees and our communities.”
In addition to other requirements, successful applications will include a hands-on, interactive, or experiential component and a sound evaluation component to demonstrate program outcomes and impact. Applicants that are aligned with TREE Fund’s mission of discovering and disseminating new knowledge in arboriculture and urban forestry are encouraged to apply.
Further details and information on the application process can be found on TREE Fund’s website, www.treefund.org.
TREE Fund is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support scientific discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in the fields of arboriculture and urban forestry. TREE Fund promotes scientific inquiry designed to benefit commercial, residential, utility and consulting arborists, urban foresters, and other professionals in related fields in their shared work to create, support and sustain vibrant urban canopies. TREE Fund supports ten grant and six scholarship programs. More information can be found at www.treefund.org.
The Davey Tree Expert Company, headquartered in Kent, Ohio, provides research-driven tree services, grounds maintenance and environmental and utility infrastructure consulting for residential, utility, commercial and environmental partners in the U.S. and Canada. As one of the top ten largest employee-owned companies in the U.S., Davey's 12,000 employees have been dedicated to creating and delivering sustainable solutions since 1880. Apply today to join the Davey legacy, and learn about how we're growing with our new SEED Campus.
