Seattle Forest Week starts Saturday, Nov. 7, with volunteer tree-planting events at 40 locations across the city.

The week runs through Nov. 15 and marks the start of planting season, according to the city's Parkways blog. Volunteers will plant native trees, shrubs and groundcovers in parks and green spaces. No experience is needed, events are family-friendly, and students can count the hours toward service requirements. All Seattle residents can browse the full list of sites and sign up at seattleforestweek.org.

Tree Equity Plan coming next year

The volunteer week is part of a broader push. The city is developing a Tree Equity Plan, expected next year, that will target neighborhoods where tree canopy falls below 25%, where the city's Racial and Social Equity Index rates the area as "most disadvantaged," and where heat and air pollution risks run high, according to the city's Tree Equity Planning page.

Priority areas on that list include the Chinatown International District (CID), Beacon Hill, South Park and Georgetown, Rainier Beach and Othello, Columbia City and Genessee, the Central District, Roxhill and South Delridge, and Haller Lake and Northgate. Queen Anne, Ballard and Magnolia are not among the priority neighborhoods.

To shape the plan, the city partnered with Headwater People, a local Native-led consulting firm.

Together they engaged with 50 community members and neighborhood organizations over the past year through six sessions across the city, followed by additional interviews, according to a Greenspace blog post by Jessica Dao.

CID outreach reaches 200 residents

A federally funded program called Foresting Seattle is already putting community feedback into practice in the CID and Beacon Hill. A 12-person CID Neighborhood Team, formed last fall, has been educating neighbors and creating a guide to planting and caring for hundreds of trees on public and private land in the district, according to the Greenspace post.

In August, the team connected with more than 200 community members through outreach at events, educational tree walks and focus groups held in multiple languages. Partners include the Chinese Information and Service Center, InterIm Community Development Association, SCIDpda, Friends of Little Saigon and community liaisons with the Department of Neighborhoods.

One CID resident told the city during outreach: "On hot days when I walk to the store, the sun is so strong. Having more trees here will make it easier for my parents to get around, and it'll make our streets feel more alive."

Community sessions also surfaced concerns about displacement. Participants discussed how to ensure greener neighborhoods do not push out current residents, and how trees can help lower energy bills by providing natural cooling in summer and insulation against cold winds in winter.

Trees matter here. The city said it is preparing to launch a Neighborhood Team in Beacon Hill next, following the same community-led model used in the CID.