Adopt a Tree

Join our e-mailing list to stay informed about Adopt a Tree events and opportunities throughout the year.

Adopt-a-Tree available trees, event dates and times are subject to change. Tree quantities are limited and will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis.

The specific dates and trees for the Adopt-a-Tree event will not be available until closer to the event date which is late spring/ early summer. Please check back or sign up to receive updates.

• Participants must present photo identification, i.e. a driver's license, with the residential property address indicated on the identification. Other forms of identification containing property address information, like a utility bill, are also accepted as long as a photo ID is also presented.
• Participants must own residential property in Miami-Dade County with sufficient room to plant trees.
• Participants are eligible for two free trees each Adopt-a-Tree season.
• If the participant rents the property, they must have written permission from the property owner to plant the trees. They must present their identification, along with a photocopy of the property owner's identification and written authorization. The Adopt-a-Tree Program will retain the authorization.
• Participants picking up trees for a family member who is the property owner must present their identification, along with a photocopy of the property owner's identification and written authorization from the property owner. The Adopt-a-Tree program will retain the authorization.
• Participants who have recently purchased a residential property should bring the bill of sale (a.k.a. HUD1), because the purchase transaction may not yet appear in the County’s records.
• Duplex and triplex properties have one folio number (as they are on one piece of property); therefore, duplex and triplex (etc.) residential properties will only receive two trees per year, which is the same as all other residential properties.
• Apartment buildings and trailer parks do not qualify for the Adopt-a-Tree program.
• Condominium or townhouse owners are not eligible to receive trees. However, if a condo owner obtains written authorization from the Condo Board to plant the tree(s) in a designated common area (defined by a site plan), they may present such authorization and obtain trees. Adopt-a-Tree program will retain authorization.

Tree quantities are limited at each event and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for your organization to be part of the Adopt-a-Tree program, one of the most popular green events in South Florida.

Adopt-a-Tree is marketed to more than 150,000 residents each year and educates more than 6,000 participants about trees and their benefits.

As a sponsor, your organization will receive three months of exposure throughout Miami-Dade County and an online presence and promotion on the Miami-Dade County website.

Different levels of sponsorships, including in-kind, are available with a variety of benefits and opportunities to meet your organization's needs. Sponsorship packages can also be tailored to meet your marketing goals and fit your budget.

For more information, call Herb Balfour at 305-372-6422 or email Herb.Balfour@miamidade.gov.

The Adopt-a-Tree program could not have achieved its many milestones without the extraordinary support of its partners and sponsors. We thank the organizations listed below.

Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light (FPL) has been a sponsor of the Adopt-a-Tree program for many years, helping the program give away more than 163,000 free trees to Miami-Dade County residents. FPL is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL is a leading private employer in the state with more than 10,000 employees. FPL promotes energy conservation through tree plantings and many other outreach programs.

 
Miami-Dade Communications Department
The Communications Department helps maintain the Adopt-a-Tree webpage and works with Regulatory and Economic Resources staff to promote the program across various County communications platforms, including MD-TV and social media.

Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension Service
The Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension Service has been providing expert knowledge and education support for the Adopt-a-Tree program, ensuring that the program supplies the highest quality trees for the community. The Extension Service serves as a liaison between research conducted by scientists at the University of Florida and other universities and Miami-Dade County residents. They also provide information and education for growers (agricultural and horticultural), homeowners, youth and those interested in food, nutrition and marine life.

Friends of the Everglades
This community organization has provided valuable education and outreach information for the Adopt-a-Tree program for many years. Their support has been instrumental in educating the community about the importance of a healthy tree canopy for South Florida. Friends of the Everglades is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of South Florida’s Everglades through education and involvement in community and government.

Miami-Dade Animal Services
Miami-Dade Animal Services will be partnering up with the Adopt-a-Tree Program to also help adopt a shelter pet. The Hope Express will be appearing at the Adopt-a-Tree events where you can not only take home a tree, but, a shelter pet as well.

Miami Herald
The Miami Herald Media Company (MHMC) publishes two daily newspapers: the Miami Herald, winner of 20 Pulitzer Prizes, and el Nuevo Herald, an award-winning Spanish-language publication. Together, the company’s products reach more than 1.5 million people each week. In addition to the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald, MHMC products include its news websites, MiamiHerald.com and elNuevoHerald.com; the popular local entertainment website Miami.com; INDULGE luxury magazine; and Caliente, a Spanish-language weekly tabloid.

For information on partnership opportunities, call Herb Balfour at 305-372-6422 or email Herb.Balfour@miamidade.gov.

Miami-Dade County, long known for its famous beaches and warm winters, is surprisingly lacking in significant tree cover. A 2008 tree-cover analysis by the University of Florida and the Division of Environment Resources Management showed that the County’s urban areas averaged only 12 percent tree cover. In comparison, other urban areas in the country have as much as 35 percent tree cover.

Additionally, there was concern about the loss of shade trees caused by the removal of trees diseased with citrus canker. In the fall of 2000, the County petitioned the Florida Department of Agriculture for money to begin restoring the communal loss of additional shade.

The Adopt-a-Tree program resulted from the input of community groups, agricultural interests and government agencies seeking to improve the depleted tree canopy in Miami-Dade County. The first Adopt-a-Tree event took place in July 2001, and since then, this program has been working to foster a heightened awareness of the value of shade trees.

The program is designed to strengthen the condition of our community's tree canopy. Therefore, the trees selected for adoption are ones that make good shade trees in their adulthood. The program provides both native "ornamental" shade trees and a variety of non-citrus fruit trees.

Trees adopted each year:

2001 - 5,864
2002 - 19,188
2003 - 23,239
2004 - 18,563
2005 - 18,039
2006 - 14,938
2007 - 13,035
2008 - 19,839
2009 - 13,222
2010 - 11,550
2011 - 6,460
2012 - 5,328
2013 - 7,916
2014 - 7,200
2015 - 6,450
2016 - 6,344
2017 - 5,532

Total trees adopted - 202,707

Community service hours are available for students who want to volunteer at an Adopt-a-Tree event. Fill out the volunteer application and email it to James Duncan, or fax it to 305-372-6419.

All volunteers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the event.