Newly trained Tree Stewards take part in a planting/training at Easton Point Park in September, where 12 new native trees were planted.

ShoreRivers is proud to announce that 30 brand-new Tree Stewards are being added to its roster of volunteers who are trained and ready to help plant and care for native trees across the Eastern Shore.

Tree Stewards are volunteers who help identify potential planting locations, develop community partnerships, coordinate site visits and assessments, create planting plans, and assist with maintenance of trees. Tree Stewards are essential to ShoreRivers small-scale restoration efforts and are crucial for continuing to build community connections.

This volunteer program began in 2021 as a training opportunity offered by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, for which ShoreRivers was the only host organization on the Eastern Shore. The training covers topics including tree biology and proper tree planting techniques, and concludes with an in-person tree planting. Thanks to these new Tree Stewards, 12 new natives are standing tall at Easton Point Park and more are on the way.

“Planting native trees improves water quality and reduces nutrient and stormwater runoff, shades impervious surface to better regulate water temperatures, and sequesters carbon in our atmosphere—and their benefits don’t stop there,” says Chester Riverkeeper Annie Richards. “These trees, especially when planted in urban and developed areas, fill habitat gaps for birds and insects, keep our neighborhoods cooler, increase home values, filter our air quality, and lower our energy bills!”

With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and an outstanding showing from this dedicated volunteer base, ShoreRivers has already worked alongside its Tree Stewards to plant a total of 300 native trees across our watershed. The 12 planted as part of the recently completed Tree Stewards training were the first of 1,000 that ShoreRivers has committed to planting in five urban centers in our watershed—Chestertown, Easton, Cambridge, Federalsburg, and Denton—thanks to additional funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust. If you know of a location that might be suitable for a native tree planting, please email mwhite@shorerivers.org.