Hennepin County is collaborating with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to plant 160 trees across seven sites on state rights-of-way along interstate 94 corridor. These sites present an opportunity to increase the environmental and public health benefits that come from roadside trees. Trees planted along roadsides are shown to improve local air quality, reduce flooding, provide shade for cooling effects in the summer and break winter winds, help local wildlife, and improve mental well-being of community members. Tree species planted during this project will tolerate conditions such as road salt, a variety of different soils, and trap particulate matter. The diversity of tree species will also increase their resiliency to climate change.

Where and when

Trees will be planted along the interstate 94 corridor in the North Minneapolis neighborhoods of: Mckinley, Webber-Camden, and Near North during the spring and fall of 2024.

Neighborhood outreach

Outreach to the neighborhoods where these plantings will take place will occur during spring of 2024. Outreach tactics will include postcards, forestry presence at community meetings to answer questions, posts to the neighborhoods via NextDoor, and lawn signs at planting locations.

Attend a Tree Stewards training and volunteer planting on Saturday, June 1

Tree Stewards

A tree care and identification training (Tree Stewards) will be offered to community members from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Cityview Community school in Minneapolis with lunch provided after the class.

Volunteer planting

A volunteer planting is scheduled to begin after the Tree Stewards class (noon) at the intersection of N 4th St. and 36th Avenue in Minneapolis. Attendance at the Tree Stewards class is not required to help with the planting.

Sign up to attend.

Project updates and next steps

Stay tuned here for additional details and how to register for the training, planting, or both.

For more information about this project, Contact Leslie Alcantar Mejia at leslie.alcantarmejia@hennepin.us.