Planting orchards for schoolchildren worldwide

Dear friend,

We are excited to share that our latest Fruit Tree 101 orchards are now in the ground, receiving plenty of water and care from the dedicated school staff and students who helped plant them at two Florida high schools earlier this year.

The first schoolyard orchard was planted at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, as part of the school’s beautiful healing garden. The orchard features a diverse array of delicious fruit trees, including pomegranate, tangerine, finger lime, lychee, longan, mountain apple, June plum, wax jambu, lemon drop mangosteen, guava, sugar apple, and ice cream bean. Students and teachers came together in the garden during the school’s day of service, honoring those lost in the 2018 tragedy on campus. As we planted the trees, we were reminded of the lasting legacy they create—from the clean air we breathe to the healthy harvests future generations will enjoy on countless summer afternoons. Trees give us nutrition, oxygen, shade, and shelter. Trees give us life. We are grateful to everyone who joined us to plant, mulch, and install irrigation on this special day.

The second orchard was planted at Hollywood Hills High School in Hollywood, Florida. As the school's garden coordinator beautifully put it: “The trees stand as verdant classrooms, offering endless lessons in science, art, and imagination. Students will witness the bustling ecosystems provided by the trees as living laboratories, inspiring hands-on discoveries and fostering a lifelong love for nature.” We loved planting this orchard on a sunny day in March with the help of a dozen enthusiastic students. Orchards like these at public schools encourage students to engage with nature, sparking curiosity and wonder as they watch the fruit develop from flower to harvest. Often, we spread the trees throughout the campus, placing them where they will bring brightness and positive energy to both current and future students. It’s a special way to beautify school grounds while simultaneously creating sources of food, learning, and joy.

Thank you for your continued support in making these projects possible. We couldn’t do this without your generous donations!

Here’s to a fruitful future for all!

Dear friends,

While our orchards in the northern hemisphere continue to wake up and flower, we are delighted to share with our friends and followers recent and upcoming spring projects, as well as new opportunities and ways to get involved.

Projects in February & March

FTPF was in Florida this February for a special orchard planting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where students and teachers joined hands in the garden on the school’s day of service, which honors the fallen from 2018’s tragedy on campus. As we planted the trees together, we were reminded that fruit trees leave a lasting legacy. From the clean air we’ll breathe, to the healthy harvest our children and grandchildren will enjoy on countless summer afternoons. Trees provide us with nutrition, oxygen, shade, and shelter. Trees give us life. Special thanks to all those who helped plant, mulch, and install irrigation on this special day.

While in Florida, we also planted a mini-orchard at Hollywood Hills High School to support the school’s goals to be environmental leaders in their community. As stated in their own words, the orchard will “empower students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care for other people, for our communities, and for the earth.”

In March, we helped create the largest food forest in Washington D.C. in collaboration with D.C. Parks, local group Forested, and our partners at PAHO/WHO Federal Credit Union. Sixty-five fruitful trees were planted at Lederer Gardens, which grows edible and medicinal plants for the surrounding underserved community.

Another 24 trees and 16 berries were planted at Neabsco Elementary School just outside of D.C. in Woodbridge, Virginia. As the school’s social worker Coby Cobern explained: “[The trees] are living classrooms teeming with educational opportunities where kids learn about environmental science, climate change, nutrition, and teamwork.”


Projects in April

FTPF is visiting the desert Southwest this month to work with the San Carlos Apache and Navajo Nation as part of our Trees for Tribes program. We aim to support food sovereignty and traditional agriculture among indigenous communities through regionally and culturally appropriate orchards. Dozens of trees will be planted and distributed with our tribal partners in Arizona and New Mexico, increasing access to fresh foods for communities living in food deserts. According to the farm manager at San Carlos Apache: “We are located in a food desert, and are one of the only food producers on the 1.5 million acre reservation. This orchard will aid us in fulfilling our mission to provide sustainable, nutritious food to the community of the San Carlos Apache tribe, and provide more opportunities to provide youth education services to the community.”

Also in April, our Uganda-based team will distribute over 30,000 trees to smallholder farmers, low-income families, and schools. As temperatures continue to rise and rainfall is increasingly inconsistent due to climate change, multifunctional landscapes featuring food-producing trees are critical to ensure livable, viable communities.

New Merch Launch

We are excited to announce that we have a new merch store, where you can purchase FTPF products including shirts, hats, water bottles, and mugs to show your support for our work. At nearly every orchard planting event, we are asked if we have items available – so now we do! All products are organic or recycled and vegan, and there are customization options as well.

Orchard Updates

To end on a happy note, we’d like to share an update from one of our orchards in California. At The Ecology Center – a regenerative urban farm near Los Angeles – the 26 fruit trees planted in 2009 are thriving, averaging 50 pounds of harvest per year. Additional trees have also been planted to further regenerate the historic agricultural land. Ali Berens, development assistant at the Ecology Center says: “The orchard brings biodiversity and beauty to our farm, providing our community with an abundance of delicious fruit to taste and enjoy!”

If you have received an orchard from FTPF, please take a moment to fill out our annual orchard survey. This is an important part of our work, allowing us to improve and build on our programs over time. We send out an email reminder for the survey once a year, typically in the fall/winter.

Wishing everyone a beautiful and blossom-filled spring,

The FTPF Team