Julie Hernandez-Tomlin Commissioner Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM). | LinkedIn
Julie Hernandez-Tomlin Commissioner Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM). | LinkedIn
Mayor Brandon Johnson participated in a tree-planting event in West Woodlawn, hosted by Blacks in Green, to celebrate Arbor Day. The event highlighted tree planting in neighborhoods needing more tree cover and started the spring planting season in Chicago.
Mayor Johnson emphasized the initiative's importance, stating, “We are planting trees in the neighborhoods in Chicago that need them most. With the Our Roots program, we’re taking significant steps to ensure that every Chicagoan can enjoy the beauty and benefits of trees." Since 2022, the Our Roots Chicago project has worked with various departments to increase tree planting, focusing on areas with sparse urban canopy. As of April 2025, over 60,000 parkway trees have been planted.
Angela Tovar, Chicago's Chief Sustainability Officer and DOE Commissioner, related the importance of community and city collaboration: “Making Chicago greener and healthier is an effort that requires the work of many.”
Blacks in Green, an environmental justice nonprofit, plays a role in the Tree Equity Working Group. CEO Naomi Davis shared, “Blacks in Green now owns Emmett's childhood home and has planted three beautiful trees there. Today, here at the church across from Emmett Till School, we plant a Kindred Spirit Oak.”
DSS Commissioner Cole Stallard and CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney reiterated the city's commitment to enhancing tree coverage and its benefits for community life and urban resilience.
More information on the city's tree planting can be found at Chicago.gov/OurRoots.
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