Planting Hope Investing in Communities Through Trees | 2024 Canopy Impact Report

Your 2024 Impact Report:

A Personal Message

From Executive Director Jean-Paul Renaud

Dear friends,

Every tree we plant tells a story — a story of hope, collaboration, and a shared commitment to a greener, healthier future. This past year, Canopy’s impact was felt at every level — and the stories in this report highlight the incredible strength and dedication of our volunteers, partners, supporters and staff. They are the beating heart of Canopy’s mission, turning the vision into reality, one tree and one committed community at a time.

At the core of that mission is the belief that trees can transform lives, not just landscapes. In every tree we plant and every lesson we teach, we are planting seeds of hope — not just for our urban forests, but for the people who call the communities we support home. Our work is more important than ever.

Our vision is to have a Canopy for all. Through this work, we are building a lasting movement of people that is not only expanding our urban canopy but also propelling a community to be resilient, informed, and committed to taking action for a healthier planet. At every Canopy event, we connect people with their communities, to the land, and with one another, and in turn, power them to work toward that vision of a greener and more sustainable future for all.

We’ve witnessed how powerful it is to create welcoming spaces where people feel encouraged to connect — with each other and with nature. From community plantings and workshops to K-12 lessons and online webinars, Canopy has opened doors for people to learn, participate, and take ownership of their surroundings. By creating these bonds of friendship and community, we are cultivating not just trees but unity, joy and the hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Canopy remains steadfast in our commitment to creating green, healthy, and connected communities. Our work is far from over, and I am inspired every day by the energy, passion and dedication of the Canopy community. Together, we have proven that by connecting with nature and each other, we can plant hope in even the most uncertain times and build a future where every community can flourish.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. Join us to plant, teach and grow — because when communities work together, there are no limits to what we can achieve.

From Board Chairs Holly Pearson and Uriel Hernandez

This year, Canopy has exemplified how trees are far more than just part of the landscape—they are the roots of thriving communities. From the schoolyards where children learn under the shade of a growing tree canopy, to the neighborhoods of our shared environment, Canopy’s work has brought people together to build a greener, more connected future.

Through planting hundreds of trees and nurturing them with dedicated stewardship, Canopy has laid the groundwork for resilience in the face of an uncertain future. In addition to environmental progress, these trees are a testament to the collective investment we are making in tomorrow. Each new tree and each teaching moment reflect a step toward a long-term societal shift, where respect for nature becomes the cornerstone of healthier, more sustainable communities.

Last summer, Canopy staff and board members began revisiting Canopy’s mission, vision, and values. We have stepped back to consider our day-to-day work, dreams, and deepest values—in the context of the realities of the communities in which we work and the changed climate in which we live. The urgency to do more and dream bigger is palpable.

This is about more than just trees. Canopy is cultivating a culture of care and collaboration, empowering individuals to take ownership of the green spaces we all share. Whether through hands-on planting events, educational programs, or partnerships that amplify impact, Canopy continues to inspire a shared sense of responsibility for the urban forests that cool our neighborhoods, improve air quality, and bring natural beauty to our daily lives.

On behalf of the board, we give our heartfelt thanks to JP, who is now in his second year leading Canopy, to all of Canopy’s incredibly talented and dedicated staff members (currently 19 plus 20 Teen Urban Foresters), and to you, Canopy’s community of volunteers, partners, and supporters, for making this work possible.

Together, we are not just growing trees; we are growing a community of informed, skilled, and connected caretakers. The work is slow, intentional, and deeply transformative. With each new leaf unfurling, we are reminded that this investment in trees is also an investment in hope—a hopeful vision of a future where nature and humanity flourish hand in hand.

By the Numbers 2023-2024

Thanks to our friends, supporters, and volunteers, 2023 and 2024 were years of continued growth for the movement to connect communities through thriving urban forests.

We are profoundly grateful to each of the 1,300+ volunteers and 560+ individual donors whose generosity makes our work possible. Thank you for being part of our community!

Together, we planted 539 trees and cared for 1,051 trees across our five partner communities.

Through fruit tree giveaways and community workshops, we distributed 88 fruit trees to Midpeninsula residents.

1,300+ volunteers dug in at 230 tree planting and tree care events across 77 community sites, volunteering for 6,000+ hours.

4,600+ youth engaged in preK-12 environmental education through 240 hands-on lessons at 8 school sites across 4 districts.

6,500+ people engaged face-to-face with Canopy at 250+ community events, including 20 tree walks, 24 webinars and workshops, and 120+ tabling and canvassing sessions.

47 Teen Urban Foresters (TUFs) worked a collective 10,000+ hours and participated in 102 professional development and enrichment sessions, including a national conference!

Bri and JoJo at the Partners in Community Forestry Conference in Chicago.

In November 2024, TUFs JoJo Flores and Briyana Edwards attended the Arbor Day Foundation's Partners in Community Forestry Conference in Chicago. JoJo, Bri, and Youth Programs Manager Juanita Ibarra led a breakout session titled “Roots of Change” where an estimated 130 attendees learned about Canopy’s TUF program and impact.

76 Community Forestry School students from 25 Bay Area cities took community forestry knowledge and skills back to their neighborhoods and communities.

560+ individual donors supported Canopy programs, helping make the work possible.

Belle Haven:

Connecting Youth with Trees Through Interactive Environmental Lessons

At the All Five campus in Belle Haven, trees and children are growing taller together. And through a partnership between Canopy and All Five, the young students are learning to connect with trees. Funded in part by a CalFire Green Schoolyards Grant, Canopy and All Five are planting trees at the early childhood school and teaching a series of interactive classroom lessons about the benefits of trees.

Environmental Educator Tania Cooley introduces tree puppet “Señora Arbol” to All Five students in the “One Two Tree Four Seasons” lesson

Designed to be appropriate for early childhood curriculum, Canopy’s Environmental Educator Tania Cooley invites a special guest to the All Five classrooms. Señora Arbol is a tree puppet with a big smile, long branches, and detachable leaves. She’s featured in the “One Two Tree Four Seasons” lesson, where students explore how trees change throughout the seasons. During the lesson, the students help Señora Arbol change her leaves from bright green in the spring and summer to red and orange in the fall to barren in the winter.

Señora Arbol is not only a fun classroom guest for Tania to help engage young students. She represents the expansion of Canopy’s lessons into pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and 1st grade classrooms.

Our tree puppet friend made her debut at All Five in July when she made a visit to a pre-kindergarten class. Throughout the lesson, students eagerly awaited their turns to change the leaves on her branches and joined a tree scavenger hunt around the All Five campus. Students created imaginary binoculars with their hands and circled around the trees to make observations.

“We want to inspire them to notice, appreciate and love trees and nature as they are developing their core values,” says Tania. “Then, what they learn in elementary school will already be through this lens, which will lead to them growing up to care for and advocate for trees.”

All Five students and teacher Kim Overton draw a tree craft to learn how trees change throughout the seasons.

This vision is being realized, as the All Five students continue to show their excitement and curiosity for trees. Kim Overton, a substitute teacher at All Five whose class participated in Tania’s lessons, excitedly reached out to share how the students continue to walk around the campus hugging and talking to trees on nature walks.

“How do people become aware of climate change and how to take care of the world? They have hands-on, real experiences – touching a tree, being in nature – and they start to care about it,” says Kim.

That’s what Canopy’s education programs are about: connecting all students, young and old alike, with the trees around them and helping them develop an appreciation for their local urban forest and environment.

With the support of the 2024 CalFire Green Schoolyards Grant, Canopy and All Five continue to partner to add trees to the All Five site. By 2026, an additional 32 trees will provide the students with more shade to play under and more opportunities to experience the benefits of trees.

Tree planting is at the core of Canopy’s work, but the hours of adult and youth education programming that Canopy provides are foundational to the long-term sustainability and engagement of community forestry. From classroom lessons to the Junior Forester Leadership Program to Community Forestry School, Canopy’s Education Team is learning and teaching alongside our community to inspire environmental change makers who champion the urban forest.

North Fair Oaks:

Canopy’s First Tree Giveaway Blossoms New Roots in Branching out Communities

On a day traditionally dedicated to honoring loved ones who have passed, Canopy’s first-ever tree giveaway offered a celebration of new life, hope, and growth for the future.

Certified-arborist Vera Cordova leads the first North Fair Oaks fruit tree giveaway workshop

As part of two Día de los Muertos events on November 2, this inaugural giveaway was much more than a distribution of 5-gallon trees—it was a gesture of connection, linking people with nature and their communities. In partnership with San Mateo County Libraries at North Fair Oaks’ Friendship Park and La Cazuela Taqueria in East Palo Alto, Canopy distributed 79 fruit trees to participants.

Each tree—a mix of lemon, lime, avocado, and fig—came with a promise: the potential to transform a yard, balcony, or even a small pot into a source of fresh food and joy. To ensure every tree flourishes, Canopy provided workshops on how to plant or repot the trees, emphasizing that even those without garden space can nurture a green companion.

The giveaway also provided Canopy with valuable insights into the needs of the communities served. Notably, 78% of participants agreed to stay connected with Canopy for ongoing check-ins on their tree's progress over the next year. Additionally, 45% of participants identified Spanish as their primary language, reflecting the importance of bilingual outreach in these areas.

Key statistics gathered from the event included:

Of the trees distributed, nearly 70% found homes in areas that are central to Canopy’s mission of enhancing canopy cover and promoting environmental equity, with 47% going in clusters around the North Fair Oaks neighborhood and 23% to East Palo Alto.
14 participants expressed interest in having an additional shade tree planted by Canopy volunteers on their behalf.
10 individuals were first-time fruit tree owners, though many indicated they had prior planting experience.
40 participants planned to plant their tree directly in the ground, while others opted to repot them for patios or balconies.
Fruit trees found homes in 17 different communities, as far away as Half Moon Bay and Yuba City.

This giveaway marks the beginning of a long-term initiative to ensure that everyone, regardless of their living situation, can experience the joy and benefits of having a tree. Canopy will be following up with participants through text messages to offer support and advice, ensuring the trees thrive and grow into a lasting source of joy, beauty, and fresh produce.

A family receives a free fruit tree at Friendship Park on November 2, 2024

“These fruit trees are more than just plants—they’re opportunities for people to connect with their environment, find nourishment, and experience the simple pleasure of watching something grow,” said Jean-Paul Renaud, Canopy’s executive director. “In a world that can often feel disconnected, a tree can be a powerful symbol of hope and resilience.”

As Canopy looks forward to future projects, this first tree giveaway is just the beginning of a blossoming effort to build greener, healthier, and more connected communities.

East Palo Alto:

The Investment to Become a Tree City, USA

Achieving a Tree City USA status is one of the goals of the City of East Palo Alto’s Urban Forest Master Plan – the visionary plan charting a course to expand city tree cover, advance environmental justice, and center community wellbeing. The goal of becoming a Tree City USA affirms the city’s commitment to fostering a healthy community and enlisting community resources to address the known Green Gap, the disparity in tree canopy cover between our local communities.

City of East Palo Alto and Canopy staff gather around a planted Silver Linden at the first Arbor Day celebration on April 26, 2024

The Tree City USA program is an Arbor Day Foundation initiative that provides communities with a framework to maintain and grow their city tree cover while also nationally recognizing and celebrating urban forestry work. A Tree City designation requires cities to meet four standards: maintain a tree board or department; a public tree ordinance; an annual budget of at least $2 per capita for urban forestry; and pass a proclamation to celebrate an annual Arbor Day. Other cities in our region that have been recognized as Tree City USA include Redwood City, Atherton, and Menlo Park.

On April 26, 2024, City of EPA staff and Canopy came together to proclaim and celebrate the first official city Arbor Day with a tree planting. The proclamation took place at the David Lewis Reentry Center, where a humble Silver Linden was planted along a busy stretch of University Avenue. With the proclamation, the City of EPA made a significant milestone to becoming a Tree City USA.

The proclamation was over a year in the making, with the collaboration of City and Canopy staff and community. The investment the city makes to meet the Arbor Day requirements are multiplied by Canopy’s investment.

“Canopy has been one of the City's major partners in the work to achieve the urban forestry goals. We couldn't have done it without them. I greatly appreciate all the care and passion Canopy brings to our community,” says Public Works Director Humza Javed.

The collaborative partnership between the City and Canopy is a critical piece to successfully moving forward community forestry, augmenting municipal resources by providing strategic philanthropic investments in the natural infrastructure in East Palo Alto.

Canopy-planted silver lindens at Jack Farrell Park in 2017 (left photo) and 2024 (right photo)

The 2017 community planting of 31 silver lindens at Jack Farrell Park is a great example of this partnership and the side-by-side investment. At the time of the planting East Palo Alto’s City’s municipal services installed irrigation services to ensure the trees received the needed water. Seven years post planting, these trees now provide a robust canopy along Fordham Street, creating a welcoming and shaded park entry.

During the 2023-2024 planting season, Canopy hosted multiple community plantings in EPA where community members planted and cared for trees in parks, schools, and neighborhoods. This vision of community stewardship and investment is codified with the annual Arbor Day observance.

On April 18, 2025, the City of EPA was notified by the Arbor Day Foundation that they had earned their long sought after designation as a Tree City USA. Canopy congratulates the EPA community for achieving this incredible milestone and looks forward to continuing to partner to advance community forestry and tree equity.

Much like the silver lindens planted at the proclamation and Jack Farrell Park, Canopy and the City’s investments in community forestry will continue to grow healthier community spaces for connection and celebration.

Palo Alto:

Tree Steward and student: Becky Bartindale

Within our dense urban environment, 80% of plantable space for trees is found at residences. Therefore, Canopy’s partnership with Tree Stewards – residents who receive and care for Canopy-planted trees – is critical to reach our communities’ tree canopy coverage goals. Tree Stewards take on an important role, not just helping to take care of trees but helping invest in the success and connectivity of our urban forests. Such a Tree Steward is Becky Bartindale.

Becky Bartindale smiles next to her City Sprite Zelkova tree provided through the South Palo Alto Tree Initiative

Becky found Canopy through her friend and fellow Tree Steward Deepa Arora, who expanded her neighborhood tree canopy coverage with five trees received through the South Palo Alto Tree Initiative (SPATI). Becky made a similar inquiry of Canopy’s SPATI program, which provides and plants trees for residents in south Palo Alto. Since that first call, she’s become a SPATI Tree Steward and an enthusiastic and engaged participant in various Canopy education and community engagement programs.

Becky collaborated with Community Forester Evany Wang to select species to plant in her backyard. Becky acknowledges it was a tricky navigation of the power lines and our evolving climate conditions to find the “Right Tree, Right Place.” The two decided on four trees: a western redbud, crape myrtle, tatarian maple, and dwarf variety of zelkova. In May 2024, Canopy coordinated a volunteer planting opportunity, with Becky participating in planting and staking her own crape myrtle.

Becky’s commitment to her trees shows. She finds joy in coming out to water and care for them weekly and sends Canopy’s Community Forester photos of her trees as they grow, asking questions and sharing observations.

“I didn’t know exactly what would be involved in caring for the trees, but I love doing everything I can to help them thrive,” Becky said as she looked around her backyard. “It takes about half an hour to water [them], and it doesn’t seem like that big of an ask compared to the reward.”

In addition to getting help with selecting and planting trees, she said, another aspect of the SPATI program she especially appreciates is that Canopy offers tree recipients three years of support, providing tree care such as pruning. “You are not left entirely on your own,” she said. “You have expert help in keeping your trees happy and healthy.”

Like our trees, Becky continues to bring benefits to our community, having joined the Fall 2023 Community Forestry School (CFS) cohort. As a CFS graduate, Becky has learned practices and gained knowledge that help her care for her own trees and observe the health of other trees in her neighborhood. Through CFS fieldwork sessions, she connected with fellow community foresters across the Bay Area, fueling her sense of community in the program.

After completing the community forestry training, Becky went on to participate in community tree plantings as well as Canopy’s Young Tree Care Survey and Great Oak Count, two programs that enlist community members to collect information about the trees in Palo Alto to inform tree care and maintenance. She even encouraged her husband to volunteer, riding bikes across town to complete Young Tree Care Survey routes and recording tree data in TreePlotter. And she became a Canopy donor!

Volunteers smile next to their planted trees at the November 2024 SPATI planting, which had 200 volunteers!

Volunteers and committed community stewards are the heart of our work at Canopy. Through the joy of planting and adding trees to their community, volunteers become powerful examples of Canopy’s efforts to expand our community's knowledge of the power of trees and how to advocate and care for them.

Launched in 2016, SPATI has added over 1,000 trees to south Palo Alto, helping to close the canopy gap between north and south Palo Alto. With these trees and earlier tree plantings on Palo Alto school sites, we can see successful examples of sites with robust tree canopy doing the important work they were planted to do. With the collaboration of our volunteers and Tree Stewards like Becky, Canopy continues to plant trees along Palo Alto streets and in its neighborhoods, expanding our ecosystem and network of trees. Every tree planted is planted with people – building community together.

Mountain View:

Community planting at Alta Vista High School creates wellness space for students

Trees can transform landscapes from barren spaces to awe-inspiring and healing places, and Alta Vista High School’s serenity garden is a great example of that transformational power.

Alta Vista High School staff and students, Canopy staff, and community volunteers gather in the newly planted campus serenity garden

During Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2024, Canopy, AVHS students and staff, and Mentor Tutor Connection volunteers planted trees at the alternative school’s campus as part of a community-led effort to create a serenity garden that will help students and teachers improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

The vision for the serenity garden came together in 2023 when the school and Mountain View community members came together to find a purpose for a section of campus in dire need of trees and additional green spaces. Mary Dateo, a Canopy Board Member who runs a landscape design business that specializes in sustainable residential landscapes, and Kammy Lo, a former Canopy Board Chair, met with AVHS staff and students to discuss options for campus greening.

Canopy plants trees where they’re needed most, and it was clear that the AVHS campus was a priority site. While the AVHS campus had some greenery, the back of the campus where students spend much of their time had few trees, limiting the outdoor spaces where students could enjoy shade from the sun. In addition to a lack of green space, the campus experiences noise and air pollution from the neighboring Highway 85, making it challenging for students to relax and safely spend time outside.

Canopy and AVHS knew the inclusion of student voices in the planning and implementation of a campus greening project would be crucial to ensure that the greening project would benefit and support the AVHS student needs. When Canopy and AVHS reached out for student input, AVHS students Monty Dixon and Alessandra Crannell proposed the plan for the serenity garden.

“Me and my friend Alessandra came up with the plan for the serenity garden because at lunch, we didn’t have a place to sit. It was just like a couple of metal chairs that would get super hot and super cold really easily,” said Monty, holding the serenity garden plan that was drawn by Alessandra. “[The chairs] are also right next to the edge of campus where the highway was always super loud.”

A serenity garden could address these issues by providing an outdoor space where students can relax and enjoy the environmental benefits of trees and green space. Mature trees can provide shade for students, help cool the campus, and help mitigate noise and air pollution from the neighboring Highway 85. Most importantly, a serenity garden with trees could help students improve their mental wellbeing by providing a favorable space for students to destress, socialize, and enhance their sense of place on campus.

“Alta Vista is great for learning and academics but students also need mental breaks and a space to focus on their wellness. Wellness is the most important building aspect of school and life,” said Alessandra. “This serenity garden encapsulates an area to be able to relax and reflect...some students might not have this outside of school.”

The tree planting was a success, with 30 students getting hands-on experience on how to plant trees. The experience not only exposed the students to the practice of urban forestry and expanded their tree knowledge, but allowed the students to work and connect with their peers, mentors at MTC, and AVHS staff.

“We want students to be able to de-escalate, to self-regulate, and to enjoy and destress in the outdoors,” said Alba Garza, the AVHS Community Resources Coordinator, as she described the vision for the serenity garden.

With the support of our regional partner and community, Canopy and AVHS were able to turn the serenity garden vision into reality. Canopy and AVHS received a community grant from Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation to plant at the AVHS campus. Mentor Tutor Connection (MTC), a local organization that mentors AVHS students, also supported the project by assisting in the planting of the trees.

Volunteers from MTC and the community plant a (SPECIES) tree in the AVHS serenity garden

“We’re excited about the serenity garden not only because we’ll have a beautiful outdoor wellness space but it also really allows our students to collaborate with volunteers in the community,” said AVHS Principal Suzanne Woolfolk at the tree planting.

The tree planting with Canopy was just the first phase. With the help of community donations and Dateo’s implementation leadership, a fountain and walkway was installed. In September, AVHS, MTC, and Compassion Week finished the serenity garden by planting shrubbery.

The AVHS community is filled with excitement about how the students can use the space. Science classes could use the garden as a living classroom. Counselors could meet with their students to meet one-on-one. Students can eat lunch together and watch the trees grow throughout the years.

What started as a couple conversations amongst concerned community members and a student-drawing of a garden transformed a portion of the AVHS campus into a living, healing landscape. The serenity garden is a testament to the power of community members when they invest in their environment and youth through trees.

2024 Canopy Financials

Income and Expenses

For fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024) Canopy had total revenues of $1,684,678 and operating expenses of $1,982,574. Canopy supplemented its operating revenue with a Board-approved use of $297,896 from Canopy's reserve fund. This reserve fund was bolstered by two significant one-time funding opportunities related to the pandemic. The Board decided to use a portion of the reserve to invest in programmatic and operational growth in response to increased demand for Canopy's programs and to provide much-needed organizational capacity. This included moving toward a living wage standard to help support staff and attract local talent in our high-cost-of-living region. The Board continues to implement a roadmap for supporting organizational growth and long-term financial sustainability.

Net Assets

Net assets total $641,883. Of this, 34% is donor restricted, 62% constitutes a board-designated operating reserve, and 4% is unrestricted.

Click the photo to enlarge pie charts

Value of Volunteer Work

Canopy is deeply grateful for our many dedicated volunteers who make our tree planting, tree care, education, and advocacy programs possible. Although not reflected in the pie charts above, the total value of their work (over 6,000 hours) is an estimated $228,000. As with the environmental benefits provided by trees, however, their contributions are truly priceless.

Thank you to our community!

You are the heart and power behind our work.

We are profoundly grateful to the volunteers, donors, partners, youth, leaders, and residents below, who work alongside us year in and year out.

Looking Ahead

As we look to the year ahead, Canopy is more committed than ever to work of renewal — of land, of community, and of spirit. We know that trees are more than just shade and greenery; they are symbols of justice, of healing, and of the hope that anchors us in times of uncertainty. To plant a tree is to believe in tomorrow. To care for a tree is to care for the generations who will one day stand under its canopy.

In a world that feels divided, trees remind us that we are all connected — our roots intertwined, our futures bound together. Trees inspire us to seek the better angels of our nature.

Canopy will continue to create spaces where people can come together — to heal, to learn, and to take action. Optimism isn’t about ignoring reality; it’s about choosing light over darkness, solutions over despair. We will meet the moment with the conviction that change is always possible. That a single tree, planted in love and care, can transform a landscape and a generation. That a single act, carried out in hope, can spark a movement.

Our path is clear. Where there is doubt, we will plant trust. Where there is division, we will plant unity. Where there is despair, we will plant hope.

Because hope isn’t naive — it’s an active response to crisis. Movements for change have always been fueled by deeply rooted dreams of a brighter future. This is the work before us — not just to plant trees, but to plant that future we dream of. Not just to grow our urban forest, but to restore faith in what we can achieve when we come together to form a beautiful symphony of community.

The road ahead will not be easy, but we will walk it with purpose, love, and joy. Planting hope is not a luxury; it is a necessity — one that can heal our souls and save our planet. And together, we will keep healing, keep growing, and, most importantly, keep planting hope.

Join our Movement!