The Valley Chronicle - CAL FIRE and Partners Celebrate California Arbor Week

Sacramento, California – Arbor Week is a time to celebrate trees and promote planting, caring for, and protecting them in our communities. The California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and California ReLeaf welcome the support and sponsorship by Edison International, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), and Blue Shield of California to celebrate California Arbor Week, March 7-14, 2026.

This year Edison International and Pacific Gas and Electric Company collectively donated $110,000 for the Arbor Week and Growing Green Communities tree planting grants offered by California ReLeaf. This funding will support 20+ grassroots urban forestry projects across the state. To nurture interest in trees and urban forests for their beauty as well as their many benefits, Blue Shield of California continued their sponsorship of the Arbor Week Art Contest, coordinated by California ReLeaf in partnership with CAL FIRE, to engage schoolchildren about the importance of neighborhood trees in nurturing community health and connection with nature via the trees in their community landscapes.

“As we deal with hotter summers, more people recognize the value of shade trees in their yards, schools, and communities, said Cindy Blain, Executive Director of California ReLeaf. “California Arbor Week is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the amazing impacts trees have on our lives: cooling and cleaning the air, increasing social bonds, improving community health and resilience. In return we simply need to nurture our trees with water, mulch, careful pruning, and our companionship”.

A press conference was held at Independence Park, 802 E. Market Street, in Stockton to officially launch the statewide celebration of California Arbor Week. During this event, the winners of California ReLeaf’s Tree Planting Grants and the Youth Art Contest were announced. Little Manila Rising and the City of Stockton hosted the kickoff celebration, demonstrating their strong partnerships with many local partners, including Tree Stockton, the Stockton Service Corps, Greater Valley Conservation Corps, and the San Joaquin Community Foundation.

“We’re planting trees whose full benefits we may never see ourselves. That’s the nature of stewardship — acting as ancestors for generations we may never meet,” said Kevin Sunga, Deputy Director of Little Manila Rising.

“Stockton is one of the most diverse cities in America, yet many of our most diverse neighborhoods, including historic Little Manila, are also the most environmentally burdened,” said Kevin Sunga, Deputy Director of Little Manila Rising. “At Little Manila Rising, we connect environmental work with health and community development because the same policies that displaced our community also shaped where pollution and opportunity would live. Planting trees across Stockton, especially South Stockton, is about healing landscapes shaped by displacement and environmental burden. We may never see the full benefits ourselves, but that’s the nature of stewardship: acting as ancestors for generations we may never meet.”

“Arbor Week is a celebration of trees and a commitment to Stockton’s future. Expanding our urban tree canopy helps reduce extreme heat, improve air quality, and strengthen neighborhood resilience” said Mayor Cristina Fugazi. “We’re not just planting trees. We’re investing in community capacity, workforce development, and long-term stewardship to ensure this green infrastructure delivers lasting benefits for every resident.”

With Edison International’s and Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s sponsorships of California ReLeaf’s two small grant programs, more than 20 nonprofits and community-based organizations are coordinating tree-planting events this spring. These community greening efforts across California aim to improve public health, mitigate extreme heat events, and educate the public about selecting the right tree for the right place and safe tree-planting practices.

“Edison International is proud to continue its support of the Arbor Week tree-planting efforts, championing community‑led initiatives that deliver meaningful environmental and public health benefits to the neighborhoods that need them most,” said Elizabeth Seelman, Director of Corporate Affairs at Edison International. “Trees are essential to creating vibrant public spaces where communities can thrive, as well as reducing extreme heat and improving air quality. We continue to invest in a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future for all Californians.”

“Through our partnership with California ReLeaf, PG&E is helping communities create greener, healthier, and safer neighborhoods. Funding for the Growing Green Communities program supports tree planting and education on proper tree placement to protect communities for generations,” said Stephanie Isaacson, Executive Director of the PG&E Corporation Foundation.

Blue Shield of California sponsors the California Arbor Week Youth Poster Contest to educate and inspire the next generation of tree champions on the importance of growing and protecting our urban forests for environmental, social, and public health benefits. This year’s theme, “Trees Are Our Friends,” encouraged school children ages 5-12 to think about the many ways they enjoy and connect with trees as well as how trees make life better. The contest winners were announced, and their artwork was unveiled during the press conference.

“Those of us in health care see firsthand the significant impacts of pollution, poor air quality, and wildfires on people’s health,” said Dr. Jennifer Nuovo, Chief Medical Officer for Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. “These impacts are magnified for low‑income communities, where pollution is often greater and access to solutions—like air purifiers or safe, green community spaces—is more limited. Trees are essential public health infrastructure, and Blue Shield of California is proud to support California Arbor Week and the California ReLeaf youth poster contest.”

California Arbor Week has the ongoing support of CAL FIRE, which actively promotes community tree planting in urban areas throughout California through grant funding, education, and technical expertise. With collaboration from numerous state and local partners, CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program is dedicated to expanding tree canopy coverage across the state.

“California Arbor Week reflects our shared commitment to growing healthier, more resilient communities through trees,” said Walter Passmore, State Urban Forester for CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. “As we work with partners across the state to expand urban tree canopy through funding, education, and technical support, lasting success depends on continued collaboration and community participation to plant and care for trees where they are needed most.”